Spirited Away: The After Story
by Masako Fuyuki
Summary: Chihiro has left the bathhouse and returned with her parents, and it's been six years since she's last seen Haku. But when they beat and starve her, what will she do? HakuXChihiro NOTE: Sequel up SA: Life Goes On ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: From Chihiro's Point Of View**

From Chihiro's point of view

It's been six years since I left the bathhouse, Granny and Lin,…and Haku. Didn't he say we'd see each other again? So where is he? I've been stuck here with my parents for six years, six damn years. Why hasn't he come?

Ever since I left the bathhouse with my parents, life has gone to hell in a hand basket. My parents were turned back from humans to pigs. However, they still retained some of their hog-ish qualities; such as they continuously eat…all the time. A three-course meal for breakfast, eating a buffet out of food for lunch, and cleaning out the fridge for dinner, with numerous snacks in between.

My mother, who was a slight 145 lbs before has now sky rocketed to 428 lbs, and my father, who was already large to start with, is now nearing 736 lbs. It's terrible.

I, however, have dropped my weight. I was just at 100 lbs. I am now at a scant 95 lbs. My hair is now at mid-back, almost to my waist. I have grown breasts, but with my weight, I'm only at a size C. The reason I'm so thin is because my parents eat all the food in the house and make me do all the work. I'm punished for not completing all my chores by being sent to my room without any food. And when I try to steal food at night, my parents catch me and beat me. I have bruises all down my arms and legs, scratches on my face, and I've even had a concussion.

My existence has been horrible. The only reason I'm still on this Earth is because I'm waiting for Haku. All I want is for him to come and take me away. I know that everything will be better with him.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I'm not quite sure how to work this yet, so cut me some slack. Please read and review. I hope this story is good._**

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**Chapter Two: Haku's Return**

One day, after Chihiro had finished her chores around the house and eaten her dinner (a slice of bread and some lettuce), she wearily climbed the stairs to her room. She opened the door and collapsed on the bed without undressing.

During dinner, she had asked for another slice of bread, and her father had hit her in the stomach and slapped her, leaving long, bleeding scratches on her face. Chihiro usually bandaged her wounds before bed, she was too tired tonight. She fell face first onto the bed and drifted to sleep.

_Haku…Haku…!_ Chihiro stretched her arms out in front of her, chasing the boy with long brown hair, but he wasn't getting any closer. _Haku!_

_Tap! Tap!_ What was that? _Tap! Tap!_ There it was again.

_What is that noise?_ thought Chihiro. She was awoken from her slumber by a gentle _tap_ on her bedroom window. Getting up from her bed, she crossed the room and opened the window. In flew a paper flyer Chihiro recognized.

_The paper flyer that chased Haku!_

Opening the folds of the paper, Chihiro saw that there was writing on it. She walked over to her lamp and clicked it on. Holding the paper to the light, Chihiro read the words.

_My dearest Chihiro,_

_I am so sorry that it has taken this long to reach you. Yubaba was furious that she lost you; she revealed to me that you were one of the best workers she has ever had. Yubaba has fallen ill and no longer wishes to run the bathhouse. She has asked me to take over for her. I have accepted her offer on one condition: she must allow you to return and live here with me. If you will come with me, then meet me by the tunnel in fifteen minutes. _

_I love you,_

_Haku._

Haku had finally come for her! Chihiro hugged the letter to her chest before pulling it away quickly and gasping in pain; the place where her father had hit her was bruised. She quickly set about gathering some clothes and underclothes. When she had gathered all the belongings she wanted (she didn't have much; her parents had sold most of it to pay for food), she set out for the tunnel, accompanied by the paper flyer, which had folded itself again.

The cold night air felt good on her bruised and bloody face. She put her hand to her cheek and felt the dried blood. _I wish I could wash this off before I see Haku,_ she thought. _Oh well, he'll still accept me, no matter what._

As the paper flyer circled around her, Chihiro started to feel weak from hunger. Her tiny body shook. It fought and screamed protest against further movement. But she kept moving, thinking only of what it would be like when she was finally reunited with Haku. _Keep moving,_ she thought. _Come on, a little more._

After about an hour, Chihiro finally caught sight of the tunnel. She drug her weak body toward it, fighting with all of her might to keep consciousness, the paper flyer cheering her on. She made it to the entrance of the tunnel and looked around. Her eyes started to blur and her head swam.

With a sigh, she swooned and fainted.

A boy with long brown hair in a blue and white outfit appeared out of nowhere and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Don't worry, Chihiro, I've got you."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! As a new author, it's really important to me. I hope this chapter lives up to the others. I added the conscious bit for a little humor._**

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**Back to The Bathhouse**

Haku walked back through tunnel and onto the other side. He walked down the paths until he reached the bridge that led to the bathhouse, then stopped.

He held Chihiro loosely in his arms; she was so tiny, he was afraid he might hurt her. As he gazed down at her face and thought, _What have they done to her? She's so thin and weak._

Then he heard a tiny voice in the back of his mind, the one that had been bothering him for the last six years.

_You left her._

_No, I didn't._

_Yes, you did. You abandoned her and look what happened._

_I didn't do anything._

_Exactly!_

_What do you know?_

_A right bit more than you do._

_I couldn't help it; Yubaba wouldn't let me leave._

_You could've escaped._

_What good would that have done? I still wouldn't be able to help Chihiro._

_Help her? You could've done _something_ to help her. Look at her; she's barely skin and bones!_

_Well, I've got her now, so let me help her._

_Finally, a good idea._

_Shut up._

Haku crossed the bridge, knowing full well that everyone could see Chihiro but not caring. Everyone was expecting her return; Haku had made such a scene in Yubaba's office that the entire bathhouse had heard. He had wanted to bring Chihiro back badly, and he didn't care who knew.

It was true that Haku hadn't been able to escape Yubaba's contract; however, in return for remembering his name, he had been allowed to slip out of the bathhouse once a week to see Chihiro, but was not allowed to speak to her.

He stared down at her, tears coming to his eyes, threatening to stream. He gently touched the dried blood on her face and thought of all the times he had seen her father hit her, just because she had asked for a bit more food to sustain her severely malnourished body. How many times he had gazed at her through her bedroom window as she lay doubled-over on her bed, moaning and crying from the pain of an empty belly. He had seen all this, had been infuriated, but had not been able to do anything about it.

_Until now,_ he thought, as he approached the broiler room of the bathhouse. _Now she's here, with me. I can keep her from harm and help her heal. She will never be in danger again. She is safe._

Because she was with him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Spirited Back**

Haku brought Chihiro into the broiler room.

"Kamajii," he called, "a little help?"

"What is it?" asked the old man, swinging one of his many arms through the air.

"It's Chihiro," said Haku, indicating the dangerously thin girl in his arms.

"Sen!" cried the old man happily. Taking a closer look, however, he saw her condition. "What happened to her?"

"I'll explain later," said Haku hurriedly. "Just help me find a place to lay her down."

"Right," said Kamajii, turning to a wall. "Come out here, and bring a pillow and some blankets with you!" he yelled.

Instantly, little black clumps of coal scattered through holes in the wall, trailing a blanket and pillow after them. They laid them out on the floor in a pallet. Haku gently lowered Chihiro onto it and covered her.

"Haku," said Kamajii once again, "what happened to her?"

"Her parents," replied Haku, his head bowed, his voice cold. He was furious. How could they have done this? She was their daughter. She had endured Yubaba and her cronies for them, risked her life to return them, and this is how they repaid her? He would deal with them.

Kamajii's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "The poor thing. Why would they do something like this?"

"I don't know, but they will pay."

Footsteps interrupted the men's conversation.

"Kamajii," said a female voice, "we need more hot water for the baths. What's the hold up?"

"Lin," said Kamajii, turning to her, "Sen has returned."

"Well, I figured she would come back, especially after the show Haku put on. It's about time, too— What happened to her?"

Lin had looked down and saw Chihiro. "Look at the state she's in. What the hell happened?" She looked at Haku, who had his head down. She mistook his bowed head as a sign of guilt, not anger. She quickly crossed the room, grabbed Haku by his collar, and hoisted him into the air.

"What did you do to her, Haku?"

"I-I didn't do anything," said Haku, eyes wide with surprise.

"Then what happened?" said Lin through gritted teeth.

Haku hung his head to the side and said, "Her parents, the fat, greedy pigs that they are." He jerked his head forward again, facing Lin. "I will punish them."

A small sigh caught the attention of everyone in the room. They all turned to look at the pallet. Chihiro moved a bit on the pallet.

Haku tore Lin's hands from his collar and ran to Chihiro. He knelt beside the pallet and held her hand. Her eyes started to open….


	5. Chapter 5

_Authour's Note: Thank you again for all the reviews! They're great. Here's the next chapter. There's a snow day here and I'm out of school, so I have all day to write stories._

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**Chapter Five: My Kohaku**

Chihiro opened her eyes slowly. Everything was blurry. Waiting for her eyes to focus, she felt hot. _What is that?_ she thought. _Where am I?_

She recounted her last conscious moments: waking up…opening the window…letting in the paper flyer…reading the note…from Haku…_Haku!_ That was it, that was why she was running…running to the tunnel, but when she got there, she fainted…and that was all she remembers.

Her eyes came into focus. She looked up to find the face of a boy looking back down at her. His hazel eyes were full of concern. Chihiro surveyed the face above her own.

_"Haku!"_

Haku's face lit up as he smiled brightly. He held out his hand to Chihiro. She placed her own in it, remembering the last time she had held his hand. It had been sad, for she had left him. But now she was back.

Haku pulled her up and embraced her. Chihiro was about to put her arms around him, but instead gasped in pain. Fearfully, Haku quickly released her. The pain was so bad she almost lost her balance. Haku put gentle hands on her shoulders to steady her. Chihiro clasped her arms around her stomach, trying to breathe deeply, but she looked up at Haku and gave him a smile.

"I'm sorry," said Haku concernedly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Chihiro, trying to hide the pain, but a wince spited her.

"Here," said Haku, taking her arm and leading her back to the pallet. "Sit down."

Chihiro sat down slowly on the pallet, and noticed for the first time the others in the room.

"Kamajii! Lin!" she cried, smiling widely.

"Sen!" cried Lin, rushing forward and hugging the small girl.

"Ow!" gasped Chihiro, wincing again. Lin quickly let her go.

Haku ran to her again, and, without a word, lifted her shirt. Chihiro's cheeks turned bright red as she tried to breathe deeply, but her heart pounding.

Haku gazed at Chihiro's stomach under her shirt. There was a large purple bruise right in the middle. Haku's eyes narrowed at the sight. He watched as she breathed, In, out, in, out. With each breath, he could clearly see her ribs. His blood boiled. _How could anyone do this to any person? Let alone anyone as sweet and innocent as Chihiro?_

He pulled her shirt down again, mad as hell. But when he looked at Chihiro's face, all anger fell away, and all that was left was genuine concern and relief. Relief that she was finally with him, where she would be safe.

"Come on," he said, offering her his hand again, "Yubaba wanted to speak to you."

Chihiro took his hand and allowed him to lift her. He led her to the door out of the broiler room and up the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

Once again, thank you for all of the reviews. I'm trying to write at least one chapter a day. Oh, and I should probably mention, for my own protection, that I don't own Spirited Away. Miyazaki is soo lucky. Enjoy!

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**Chapter Six: Yubaba**

Chihiro walked up the stairs, led by Haku. She was glad for the pace, it had been a while since she had last eaten, and she was getting weak. She clung to Haku's hand like a lifeline. He would keep her steady. He was her rock.

Haku proceeded up the stairs slowly, making sure that Chihiro could keep up. He could feel her thin hand in his own, as it gripped tightly. A few minutes later, still climbing, he started to feel her shake. He turned around and asked, "Do you want me to carry you?"

Chihiro looked up with a smile on her face, pale from exertion, and shook her head, her long ponytail, held with her special hair tie, barely moving. "No, she said, "I'm okay. Keep going."

Haku nodded, and moved forward slowly, but kept an eye on her for the rest of the climb. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Chihiro let go of Haku's hand and slumped against a wall, wiped out. Haku turned to her, looking concerned, but Chihiro only smiled.

"Only resting," she said. "Just give me a minute."

Haku nodded, and he sat down next to her. He put his arm around her, and when she didn't shy away, he pulled closer. As the toads and other workers passed them and stared, Haku only tucked Chihiro's head under his chin and kissed her hair. He didn't care who saw them or his public display of affection. All that mattered was that Chihiro was with him and she could heal and recover.

After resting for about five minutes, Chihiro made to stand, but faltered a bit. Haku shot up and grabbed her arm, steadying her. She gave him a small smile of thanks and he nodded, also smiling.

"Are you ready to go again?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go," said Chihiro. "I want to see how Boh is, and what's happened to Yubaba."

"Alright," said Haku, taking her hand again. He led Chihiro over to the door of the elevator. They entered the elevator and Haku pushed the button for the floor Yubaba's office was on. As the elevator rose, they gathered more passengers, most of them very large. As a huge mud spirit entered the elevator, Chihiro was pushed flat against Haku. As she looked up at his face, her cheeks turned bright red again. Haku gazed down at her, and silently chuckled at her expression, then put his arms around her, holding her.

Chihiro put her head to his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beat. She closed her eyes and listened, breathing in his smell.

_Thump…Thump…Thump…_ It was a reassuring sound, soothing to someone who, for so long, had heard only the sounds of her own cries and hungry belly.

Chihiro relaxed in Haku's arms, picturing him in her mind. His face and eyes were exactly the same. He had grown taller over the last six years, he now towered over her. And his hair, which was still the same brown she loved, was now almost half-way down his back, and was secured with a long white ribbon, tied in a bow. She had no other words to describe him except handsome, beautiful even.

The elevator door opened again and again, letting off more of the passengers. It opened again on Yubaba's floor, and Haku and Chihiro stepped out. However, it was quite a long walk down the hallway, and Chihiro's frail body was giving out again. Haku noticed this.

"Do you want me to carry you?" he asked again.

"No, I'm fine," answered Chihiro, leaning against the wall for support.

But Haku wouldn't take no for an answer this time. He quickly scooped Chihiro up before she could object and carried her down the hall.

Haku knocked on the door while still holding Chihiro. "Come in," was the answer they got.

Haku pushed the door open and carried Chihiro into the room. He walked to Yubaba's desk. "Here she is," he said, indicating the frail girl he held in his arms.

"Well, well, well," said Yubaba, smirking despite herself. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Haku stiffened. Yubaba backed off, knowing what Haku was like when he was angry, the episode when he had fought tooth and nail to bring Chihiro back (she had just finished picking up her office earlier that day). She didn't want to incur his wrath again.

"So, Haku, what do you want?" she asked. "You have Chihiro, now what?"

"Before I take you offer for the bathhouse, I want to make a few things clear; I want a room here, on your floor, bigger than my current room," said Haku, setting Chihiro down gently, still holding her shoulders.

"Why?"

"So Chihiro and I can live there…together."

At these words, Chihiro blushed profusely.

"Alright, you two can have your room. What else?"

"We want to be able to come and go freely, anytime we wish."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"Yes, pay the employees."

"WHAT?"

"Yes. They all get a one percent cut of the profits. If you don't, you'll have to find someone else to run the bathhouse while you're recovering."

"Alright, alright! But that's it! Now, go get Sen cleaned up. I'll see you later."

As Yubaba dismissed them, Haku picked Chihiro up again and carried her out into the hall. He walked down the hall to a door with a placard. It read:

**Master Haku & Madame Sen**

He opened the door and walked inside. He set Chihiro down on her feet as she gaped at the room. The walls were a lavish purple with a large blue and white dragon on each wall, and emerald green molding. There was a carpeted rug in the middle of the floor, decorated in white and blue with an emerald green edge. A folding futon was tucked away in the corner and a small chest of drawers was against the left wall. It was incredible.

Haku sat Chihiro on the rug and went to the dresser. He picked up a long white yukata and walked back over to Chihiro and handed it to her.

"Take off your clothes and put this on. We need to get you down to a bath and wash that blood off," he said, lightly touching one of the scratches on Chihiro's face. "Don't worry, I'll look away."


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! They're so great! Keep looking for new chapter, they're coming. And to FrubaForever; I'm sorry you don't have any snow in Boston. It's rare we get any here in North Carolina. Ice, yes, snow, not usually._

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**Chapter Seven: Granny!**

Chihiro sunk down into the hot water as she lay in the bath. It felt so good. She had gotten used jumping into a bathtub full of cold water, as her parents spent all their money on food, instead of the gas bill. She leaned her head back sank even further, allowing the water to rise to her neck. She sighed.

A door sliding open caught her attention and she looked out of the bath, only to quickly return to the water with a small squeal.

_"Haku!"_

"Sorry," said Haku, hanging back. "I just came to check on you."

"That's okay," said Chihiro, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself.

Haku stepped forward to the bath. He climbed onto the deck around the rim of the bath and gazed down at Chihiro. She blushed profusely.

"You still have blood on your face," said Haku, touching her cheek.

"Oh," was all she could get out.

"Let me get it for you," said Haku, reaching down and grabbing a washcloth. He dipped it in the water, rang it out a bit, and gently wiped her face. He stared down into her eyes, and she did the same, both feeling free, feeling relieved that the other was there.

Chihiro slowly rose from the bath, the soaked towel still held firmly in place around her chest. Haku held out his hand and she took it, stepping out of the tub. He held out the white yukata, and she took it. Haku turned around as she slipped the towel off and pulled on the robe.

An hour later, Chihiro was dressed in a white skirt that came to her knees and an emerald green half-sleeved shirt. She had been back to the broiler room, with Haku's help, to see Kamajii and Lin again. Now they were both back in their room, and Chihiro voiced an idea.

"Why don't we go see Granny and No Face?"

"Are you sure you're up to it?" asked Haku, glancing over from the paperwork that he had to fill out to run the bathhouse (yes, there's paperwork, even in the spirit world).

"Yeah, so can we go?" asked Chihiro, flashing puppy eyes.

"Alright," said Haku, signing one last document.

They had bought their tickets and caught the train. They got off at Granny's stop, and the foot-lantern met them, guiding them into the forest. After they had walked for five minutes, Chihiro started to get tired again, so Haku picked her up and carried her, bridal-style, to Zeniba's house.

No Face was outside, feeding the birds. When he saw Haku and Chihiro approach, he ran to front door to welcome them.

"NoFace!" Chihiro shouted, waving in Haku's arms.

Zeniba opened the front door and a smile spread across her wrinkled face.

"Chihiro?" she called.

"Granny!" cried Chihiro, jumping out of Haku's arms and running to hug Zeniba.

"Come inside," said Zenibe, "I want to hear what you've been up to for the last six years."


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you once again for all the reviews! I should explain: this story takes place **during** the sixth year that they've been apart, which would make Chihiro 16, and Haku 17. Just thought I'd clear that up. This chapter's not much, just a lot of fluff, so happy day, romantics! Please read and review!_

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**Chapter Eight: The Makings Of A Plan**

Haku and Chihiro were seated at Zeniba's table, as Zeniba herself brought over a tray of tea. She sat it down, poured three cups of tea, and distributed one cup each to Chihiro, Haku, and herself.

When she had sat down after checking No Face in the garden, she asked, "I knew I'd be seeing you again soon, Chihiro, especially when Haku asked me for one of my paper flyers. So, what have you been up to since you left?"

"I've been with my parents," said Chihiro slowly, not caring to elaborate.

"And…?"

"Oh, I've just been going to school, and…stuff…"

Haku bowed his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. He had balled his hands into fists in his lap, gripping his pants. Zeniba saw this and decided not to push the matter. "Chihiro," she said instead, "you look so thin, dear. Come into the kitchen and let me make you some food."

Chihiro nodded her head and followed Zeniba into the kitchen.

As Chihiro happily munched on the food in the kitchen, Zeniba and Haku were talking in the living room. He had just quietly told her about what Chihiro's parents had put her through.

"I want to do something," said Haku, "to punish them for their behavior."

"I know how you feel," agreed Zeniba. "I can use my magic to help you."

"That would be great. I just want to help her," said Haku, his glazy eyes staring at Chihiro, who was oblivious to all but the food.

An hour later, Chihiro and Haku, laden with many packages of food, waved good-bye to Zeniba and no face. Haku transformed into his blue and white dragon form and Chihiro climbed onto his back, hugging his neck. As Haku rose, Chihiro felt the familiar rush of air and sudden weightless feeling. However, she hadn't ridden a dragon in a while (I say that like it's normal), and she could feel herself slipping slightly, so she gripped Haku's neck tighter and closed her eyes until they were in the air and flying at a steady pace. As she looked around, she saw the beautiful landscape below. The deep green trees at the top of the forests, the pristine blue-green water, and in the distance, the structure of the bathhouse.

As she looked around at the scene, so calm and placid, she thought to herself, _This is just what I wanted. I'm away from my parents, I'm around my friends, I'm safe, but most of all, I'm with Haku._

Later that night, back in their room, Haku and Chihiro were getting ready for bed. Chihiro had just pulled on her night gown, and was wondering what their sleeping arrangements were going to be, when Haku unfolded the futon.

"Which side do you want?" he asked. Chihiro simply stared; she hadn't expected that they would be sleeping together.

_Together?_ Chihiro blushed. That made it sound dirty. _Am I getting myself into something I can't get myself out of? No, I'm just being silly. It's just a bed, only sleeping. What am I worried about? Still…NO! No second thoughts. It's not this hard of a decision to make._

Still blushing slightly, she turned to Haku and smiled. "I'll take the left."

Chihiro got under the covers and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible. Haku joined her a few minutes later, sliding himself in next to her. Feeling the comforting warmth, Chihiro turned to him and curled her body against his, snuggling her cheek against his bare chest. Haku blushed, then smiled and wrapped his arms around her as she sighed. They were both thinking the same thing.

This is perfect.

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_This chapter is fairly short, but I'll try to make them longer later. And to FrubaForever; sorry for the mistake. I'm a city girl myself. I suppose I'm a fish outta water here in the boondocks. Have a good day, everyone!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Wow, everyone's out for blood! Haku will eventually punish Chihiro's parents, but there's a story in between. Please be patient! Thanks for all the reviews!_

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**Chapter Nine: Around The Bathhouse**

Chihiro awoke in the morning nestled in Haku's warm embrace, his strong yet gentle arms wrapped around her. Their closeness made Chihiro blush. She quickly recovered, snuggling back against Haku's chest. _This is quite nice,_ she thought, letting sleep come again.

Haku slightly opened one eye, watching as Chihiro woke up, blushed, and fell back to blissful sleep. He savored the way she snuggled to him, touching his bare flesh. He sniffed and her smell filled his nose; it was warm and sleepy, like honey and vanilla. He thoroughly enjoyed it. She sighed in her sleep, making Haku's heart flitter. He loved this feeling, holding her close, knowing she was here.

After all these years, she was right here with him. He was not dreaming, or wishfully thinking. She was no imaginary being, as he had awoken to on many occasions, only to find out she had never really been there. She was physically next to him, touching him, her soft breath blowing on his chest. How many times had he peered through her window, watching her sleep, wishing that he could lie there next to her, and comfort her? And now, here she was, wrapped in his embrace, sleeping peacefully. The most peaceful sleep she had probably gotten in a long while.

An hour later, Chihiro woke again, except this time; she was alone on the futon. She slowly got up, for once having the energy to lift herself, instead of falling on the floor. As she stood, she glanced over at the large bay window that led to the balcony. The sun barely shown through the rich velvety emerald green curtains. Chihiro walked slowly over to the window and threw open the curtains. She was greeted by the bright, shining sun, making her blink. She looked out onto the grounds below. The water was shimmering, the train was chugging along, and all different sorts of workers were scurrying along the bridge and adjoining carnival grounds. She closed the white sheer curtains, filtering out some of the sunlight.

Just as she was walking away from the window, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," said Chihiro, walking over.

The door opened, and there stood Lin, dressed in her work clothes.

"Haku asked me to come check on you," she said, making a disgusted face. "I hate the guy bossing me around." Then she smiled. "But seeing as it's you, I agreed."

Where is Haku?" asked Chihiro, pulling on a robe.

"Yubaba pulled him out early to attend to some matters with the bathhouse. He's at breakfast now. He wanted to know if you wanted to come."

"Mmhm, just let me get some clothes on."

"Alright. Now, I've got to get back to work, so I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Ten minutes later, Chihiro walked into the dining room, dressed in clothes much like her old work clothes, except they were blue and sea-green. When she entered the room, Haku stood up.

"Chihiro, good morning!" he said, crossing the room and taking her hand. "Are you okay? Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning to you as well," smiled Chihiro, allowing herself to be led to a chair at the table near Haku. "I'm fine, and yes, I got enough sleep."

"I'm sorry to have left you this morning," apologized Haku, sitting down. "However, Yubaba called on me to finalize one last document for the bathhouse. She wanted me to reconsider giving all the employees pay."

"What did you say?" asked Chihiro.

"I said no. Either she pay her workers, or run the bathhouse herself while managing her illness."

"What's wrong with her, anyway?"

"We're not quite sure. We think it might be the flu, or possibly pneumonia. She can beat it, but it has shown her that she needs to take time for herself. And she needs to pay more attention to Boh; he's getting older and needs a lot of looking after."

"Speaking of Boh, where is he? I haven't seen him since I got here."

At that precise moment, Boh burst through the door. "Sen! Sen!" He ran to her and hugged her.

Boh had changed in the last six years since she had seen him. He was no longer the huge bumbling baby that he used to be. He now looked like a normal six-year-old boy, even though he was still rather abnormally large. He had dark brown hair and big, innocent eyes.

The four foot six-year-old hugged Chihiro tightly around the stomach. She spluttered for air and gasped in pain.

"Boh!" Haku came running forward. He grabbed Chihiro from Boh's grasp and cradled her as she regained her breath.

"I'm sorry, Sen," said Boh, his eyes filling with tears. Remembering the last time he had done this, Chihiro quickly said, "It's okay, Boh. I'm glad to see you, too."

Chihiro and Boh talked for a while and then Boh went back to his room for a nap. When he had left, Haku helped Chihiro from her chair and led her to the door.

"This is my first day actually running the bathhouse, so I'll be busy. However, I don't want you running all over the place. You need to conserve your energy, so I don't want you working at all. If you need anything, come see me in the office; it's right next door to our room (Haku got his own office). Or find Lin, she'll help you." He opened the door and led her out. "I'm taking you back to the room, okay? I want you to stay there until I come get you, alright?"

"Alright," said Chihiro. She couldn't argue; she was feeling rather shaky; it took a lot out of her to get from one floor to the next. They had reached the room. Haku opened the door and led Chihiro to a chair seated at a desk.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said, "I swear."

"I know you will," smiled Chihiro.

He wanted to tell her something else, but didn't know if he could. The struggle inside of him waged. _What am I worried about? _he thought.

_Might as well, you'll have to admit your feelings _sometime

_Not you again._

_Yep, it's me; that nagging little voice inside your head._

_Why don't you go away?_

_Just do it._

_I don't know…_

_Do it._

_But—_

_DO IT!_

Haku lowered his head to the top of Chihiro's. He touched his lips to the silky almond hair and mumbled, "I love you." Then he kissed her forehead.

He turned around, walked to the door, looked back and smiled, then left the room before the red flush creeping up his neck became noticeable.

* * *

_Yea, I know; more fluff. But, hey, what can I say? I'm a sucker for romantics. And at least they're making some progress relationship-wise. Will it blossom, or bust? Come back to find out! Sorry that was corny, but please, keep reading. I enjoy the reviews._


	10. Chapter 10

_Author' Note: Okay, a little less fluff, but still enough. Wow, that rhymed. Anyway, thank you for the reviews. You'll have to read for more!_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The First Day Back**

Chihiro sat at the desk, taking a break from her drawing and staring out the window.

_He said it!_ she thought. _He said 'I love you.' _She smiled to herself. _At least I know my feelings are returned. But does he know that I feel the same way? I haven't told him I love him. I should. But what if—No, I know he feels the same way, he just said so!_

"Alright, that's it," said Chihiro resolutely, standing up. "I'm going to tell him."

She crossed the room and walked out of the door. She strode down the hall until she came to the next door on the left. Chihiro drew a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" came Haku's voice.

Chihiro slowly opened the door and walked in. "It's Chihiro," she said quietly.

"Chihiro," said Haku, standing and walking over to her. "Are you okay?"

At the sight of him, all of her determination fell away. She began to blush and looked down at her feet. "I-I'm alright," she stuttered. "I-I just wanted to…check in on you."

"Oh," said Haku, surprised. "I'm fine, just doing more paperwork. How are you?"

"Fine, just fine," she answered quickly. There was an awkward silence. She shuffled her feet before looking up. She reached out and touched his arm, then said, "Well, bye." She turned on her heel and ran out the door. It closed with a snap.

"What was that all about?" Haku wondered, returning to his desk. He remembered her blushing face, and thought he had some idea, but was not going to push it until she was ready.

Back in the hall, Chihiro's heart was thumping as she relived her embarrassing episode.

_You idiot!_ she scolded herself. _You wanted to check in on him? That is the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard! Haku must think you're a stupid, blithering moron!_ She sighed and walked back to her room. _Telling someone you love them to their face is harder than I thought._

She had reached her room. As she opened the door, a thought occurred to her. "I wonder if Kamajii could help me? I'll go see him!"

And with that, she bound off toward the broiler as fast as her thin legs would carry her.

At first, Chihiro seemed to have back the energy she had lost six years ago. But halfway to the broiler room, she could feel her legs getting weak. She managed to make it to the stairs that led to Kamajii before they gave out entirely. She sat on the top step, catching her breath. When she thought she was strong enough to stand again, she rose. Chihiro tried to take a step, but instead tripped on her own feet and fell down the stairs, landing flat on her backside.

Kamajii heard all this commotion and turned around.

"Sen! Are you okay? What are you doing down here?" he asked concernedly, pulling her up off the floor with one of his arms.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she assured him, brushing dirt and debris off of herself.

"Do you want me to call Haku?"

"No! I don't want him to worry. Besides, he told me to stay in the room," said Chihiro hurriedly.

"So, what brings you down here, when you should clearly be in your room resting?"

"I was wondering, Kamajii, have you ever been in love?"

The old man faltered a bit in his work. "What makes you ask that, Sen?"

"Oh, no reason."

"There is a reason for everything, Sen, but I will not ask you yours; it is clearly a private matter."

Chihiro was grateful that the old man did not wish to pry into her personal life.

"I have been in love before," said Kamajii, turning to face her. His eyes were glazed over at the memory.

"Did you ever tell her that you loved her?"

"Yes, eventually. But it was hard. I didn't know what to say to her. One day, it just slipped out. I was mortified, but then she smiled, and I knew it was okay."

"Did she tell you she loved you, too?"

"Yes, she told me later on. I don't know why she didn't tell me right away, but I was happy when she did."

Oh," said Chihiro, a little disappointed. Kamajii didn't know why his love hadn't told him she loved him right away.

She said good-bye to the old man and turned to leave. As she got to the stairs, she looked back at him and asked, "Kamajii, what happened to her?"

Kamajii gave her a sad smile. "She died; some kind of sickness. She had a high fever, vomited constantly, and always said she was cold. She died a week before we were to be married."

"Oh, Kamajii, I'm so sorry!"

"Thank you, Sen. Now, you better get back, before Haku notices you're missing."

Chihiro was walking to the elevator to go back to her room, thinking about what she should do, when she ran into someone she would rather not have.

"Sen!"

Chihiro flinched at the shrillness of the voice. "Yes, Yubaba?"

"What are you doing?"

"Going back to my room."

"Come with me," said Yubaba curtly.

Chihiro did as she was told, knowing what Yubaba could do to her if she refused.

"Here," said Yubaba, shoving a stack of towels into Chihiro's arms. "Make yourself useful and put on in every bath."

Chihiro simply nodded behind the stack of towels and tottered off. Thirty minutes later, Chihiro had delivered most of the towels and was on her way to drop off the last one. As she turned the corner, she almost ran into Haku. He grabbed her shoulders and hugged her.

"Chihiro, thank gods I've found you," he said, relieved. Then he pulled back, looking stern. "Where the hell were you? I've been looking everywhere for you! I told you to stay in the room."

"How did you know I was gone?"

"I went to check on you, but when I went in the room, you weren't there. I panicked and ran to find Lin, but she said that she hadn't seen you. Then I went to Kamajii, and he said it had been almost an hour since he had talked to you. So I've been running around everywhere, trying to find you. Where did you go?"

"I went to see Kamajii, and when I left, I ran into Yubaba. She told me to follow her, thrust a stack of towels into my arms, and told me to put them in all the rooms," said Chihiro, close to tears; she didn't like Haku yelling. "A-are you mad at me?"

"No," he said. "Not at you. Follow me." He took Chihiro's hand.

They found Yubaba, and Haku flared. He stepped in front of Chihiro and confronted Yubaba, his eyes reflecting his anger.

"I told you that I did not want Chihiro to work so she would not overexert herself, did I not?" he said darkly.

"Yes, you did—" started Yubaba.

"Then why," snarled Haku, "did you tell her to walk from room to room and deliver towels?"

"I—"

"You know that she tires easily and can only walk a small distance before her legs give out."

"Yes—"

"And yet you asked her to do something that would tax her. And after I personally told you that she needed to rest. If you will remember, I run the bathhouse now, so you must listen to me."

"But—"

"Enough," said Haku, closing his eyes. "Leave Chihiro alone. Do not ask her to do anything else. She is under my supervision, so don't bother bullying her into anything else. Now, good day to you."

Haku gathered Chihiro to him and walked off toward the elevator.

Back in the room later that night, Haku was staring out the window, thinking to himself. His sensitive ears heard the sound of light footsteps behind him. Chihiro came up behind him slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her face into his silky hair.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" asked Haku softly, taking her arms and pulling her to his front. She looked up at his face.

"For going off earlier today. I should've stayed in our room like you said."

"Well, yes, it would've been nice if you had stayed in the room, but I can't blame you. After all, you just came from a household where you were being starved and had all of your freedoms withheld; it's only natural that you would want to get out and explore. Don't apologize."

Haku picked Chihiro up and carried her to the futon. He laid down with her and cuddled her until she fell asleep, curling herself to his body and snuggling under the covers. She laid her cheek against his chest and he could feel her deep breath. He circled her in his arms as her scent lulled him to sleep.

* * *

_Ooh, so close. Maybe she'll tell him in the next chapter? Who knows? You'll just have read and find out! Ps. I know that the first ten chapters have been focusing on Chihiro's **first** day back, but the pace will pick up. Thanks for reading. Pease review!--MF_


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: I hope you caught the foreshadowing in the last chapter; there's a bit more in this one. I love this chapter. Thanks for the reviews._

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Why Hasn't She Said It?**

A month had passed and Chihiro was thriving. She was gaining weight and had almost reached a hundred pounds. She and Haku still slept in the same room, in the same bed, but Haku respected her boundaries, and Chihiro trusted him. While Haku spent most of his day in his office, managing the business' paperwork, Chihiro walked around the bathhouse, checking in on all the employees and making sure they were all comfortable. Haku did not like this, but Chihiro told him she was strong enough to walk about the bathhouse by herself, so he agreed, on the condition the she not tax herself and find Lin or Kamajii if she did not feel well.

This day was no different. Haku worked a little extra in the evenings just so he could wake up with Chihiro in the morning and spend time with her. As Chihiro opened her sleepy eyes, she saw his two hazel ones peering back at her, wide awake. She only closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him, resting her mouth and nose in the hollow of his throat and asked, "How long have you been up?"

"About half an hour," said Haku. "I've been waiting for you to wake up."

Chihiro thoroughly enjoyed how his voice reverberated in his throat, making it vibrate under her lips as she smelled his scent; like a pure mountain river with crystal water, except muskier, more manly. She loved it.

"Well, I'm awake now, aren't I?" she said, opening her eyes.

"Are you?" said Haku playfully.

"I believe so, yes," replied Chihiro, turning over and stretching her arms above her head. Her night shirt came up, exposing her stomach; her ribs were still visible, but not as clearly, and the bruise was gone.

As she stretched, Haku reached over and lightly tickled her bare stomach, sending her into a fit of giggles. When the giggling died away, Haku took Chihiro into his arms again, and kissed her on the head.

They got up and made their way to the balcony. Stepping to the rail to watch the grounds below, Haku stood next to Chihiro and put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer. The serenity of their surroundings made him feel completely calm. He leaned his head on hers and whispered lightly, "I love you."

Chihiro sighed and buried her head in between his throat and collar bone. Haku had learned to accept this as her response, figuring she just was not ready to tell him in return. But he was getting rather impatient. Why wouldn't she say it in return?

If only Haku knew, Chihiro _wanted_ to tell him, but did not know why she could not.

After they were dressed and had eaten breakfast, Haku took Chihiro back up to their room for her to rest before making her rounds. When she was sitting down, Haku waved good-bye to her and went to his office next door.

He was done with his paperwork within two hours, which was unusual. He wondered what to do with the rest of his day.

_I wonder if Chihiro is still in our room. I'll go see._

So Haku got up from his desk, walked into the hall, and opened the door to his and Chihiro's room. He stuck his head in. "Chihiro?" No answer. "I guess she's about the bathhouse," he said to himself. "Oh well, I guess I'll go see Kamajii; I've been meaning to see him anyway."

Haku was walking down the stairs to the broiler room five minutes later. "Kamajii!" he yelled.

"What?" replied the old man, pulling three levers at once.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"What did Chihiro talk to you about when she came here on her first day back?"

"You're asking an old man to remember _that_ long ago?"

_"Kamajii…"_ said Haku testily.

"I remember," said Kamajii, pushing his large glasses further up his nose. "She asked me if I had ever been in love."

"Oh. Anything else?"

"If I had told the girl I loved her. And what happened to her."

"D-did you?"

"Yes. Why do you want to know?"

"I-I told Chihiro that…that I loved her," said Haku, bowing his head so the old man would not see his embarrassment.

"Oh! And what did she say?"

"…Nothing. I think she almost told me, but couldn't quite get it out."

Seeing the young spirit looking crestfallen, Kamajii said, "Don't worry, Master Haku, my love didn't tell me straight away either. She waited a bit, until she finally got the nerve, I suppose. Just give Sen some space. She will tell you when she's ready."

Haku looked up and smiled. "Thank you Kamajii." He walked to the stairs, then turned around, in the same exact spot that Chihiro had a month before. "Kamajii?"

"What happened to her?"

"She died," said Kamajii, repeating himself from a month ago. "Of some kind of illness. She had a high fever, but complained of being cold, vomited frequently, was listless, and finally wasted away."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Haku, turning and walking out of the room.

Haku felt for the old boiler man, but desperately hoped that his fate did not befall Chihiro and himself.

* * *

_To DensLust; you're right, he's not as stubborn. I suppose it makes him a bit more endearing, doesn't it? Stay tuned for next chapter; it's my favorite!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! It's my favorite so far. I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Why Can't I Say It?**

As Haku was talking to Kamajii, three floors above, Chihiro had met up with Lin.

"Hey, Lin?" said Chihiro cautiously.

"Yeah, Sen?"

"Have…have you ever been in…love?"

"Oh," said Lin, smiling devilishly. "You and Haku—?"

"I knew I should've kept this to myself," said Chihiro, walking off.

"Wait, Sen," said Lin, grabbing her arm. "Yeah, I've been in love. Why?"

"Did he tell you he loved you?"

"Yeah."

"Did you tell him the same thing?"

"Yeah, eventually."

"Eventually? How long did you wait?"

"About two months."

"Why did you wait so long?"

"I'm not quite sure. I had this internal struggle going on inside me. I don't know why I waited; he told me he loved me, blatantly in fact, and I knew how I truly felt about him. I guess I just had to wait until I was ready."

"Why?"

"Good question. I suppose women are just funny like that. So, has Haku told you he loves you? And don't lie; no one asks a question like the one you just did without a reason."

"Yes, he told me."

"But you haven't told him."

"Right. I really want to, but I just can't. I don't know why I can't just come out and say it, but…"

"I know, I know," said Lin, putting down her rag and stepping out of the bath she was cleaning. She would've asked Sen for some help, but knew that Haku would have her head, so she thought better of it. "Every girl tells her someone in their own time. Just wait until you're ready."

"Thank you, Lin," said Chihiro, turning around. "I'm feeling a little tired; I think I'll go back to my room."

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Lin, about to step back into the tub.

"No thanks, I'll be fine. Bye," she said, walking out the door.

When Chihiro entered her room, she found Haku already there, sitting by the window. She walked over to him and wordlessly threw her arms around his neck. She kissed the top of his head and nestled her face in his hair. He reached up and put his hands on her arms, holding them. Then he gently pulled her in front of him, on his lap. She looked up into his eyes.

_This is it_, she thought. _I'm really going to tell him!_

Chihiro looked into the depths of Haku's eyes, waiting for the right moment to say those words which they both wanted to hear.

Haku spoke first. "I love you," he said, placing his hand gently on her head.

_This is it, right now! Here it comes!_

Chihiro waited, and waited…and waited…but nothing came. She just could not make herself say it. All she could do was bury her face in the hollow of his neck, letting his scent comfort him.

_Not just yet,_ she thought disappointedly. Haku held her head to his throat, humming softly to soothe her.

He picked her up and carried her to the futon, and laid down with her. She folded her body to his own and pressed her face to his chest. Haku continued to hum softly while stroking her hair. Just when he thought she was asleep, he whispered gently, "It's alright, Chihiro. Tell me in your own time; tell me when you're ready."

He saw her tremble slightly and felt the hot wetness of tears on his chest.

* * *

_Ohh, cliffhanger! Sorry, I just had to do it; I had to be evil at least once in this story. Sumimasen! But if you're good, and send me more reviews, I might have a new chapter by tomorrow! _


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: Not as many reviews as I'd hoped for. But I'll post this anyway. I know that 13 is a bad number, but I'll try to make it a good chapter (by the way, 13 is my lucky number). Please read and review!_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Will She Tell Him?**

It had been two weeks since Chihiro had talked to Lin, and she still could not bring herself to say the beloved words to Haku.

Haku was still going about his work, and the papers were becoming less, so he had more time to spend with Chihiro. Chihiro herself was gaining more strength by the day, though still weak. Everything was going well for everyone.

One day, as Chihiro and Haku were eating lunch in their room, as Chihiro spent all her energy earlier in the day and did not have the strength to make it to the dining table, Chihiro had an idea.

"Haku," she said, after swallowing a mouthful of dumplings, "can I go see Granny today?"

"Hmm," muttered Haku, thinking hard. "Only if I go with you."

"Yay!" squealed Chihiro, hugging Haku around the neck. Haku opened his mouth, exposing chewed food, swallowed, then blushed. "Alright, alright! Calm down, Chihiro," he said, trying to regain his composure. He had to admit, he liked the feel of her pressed against him.

An hour later, Chihiro and Haku were standing outside the bathhouse. Chihiro looked to Haku and smiled. Haku smiled back and transformed into his dragon form. Chihiro clambered onto his back. As they took off, Chihiro had to marvel at the sleek and lithe body beneath her. He was beautiful, flying through the sky. She smiled to herself as she realized that he was her dragon.

They reached Zeniba's house and Chihiro slid easily off of Haku and he transformed back to his human form. _He doesn't look so bad this way, either._ She thought as she watched him.

They were inside Zeniba's house, talking.

"So, Chihiro dear, what have you been up to lately?" asked the old witch.

"Just walking the bathhouse," said Chihiro, "Haku won't let me do anything else."

"I just want to make sure that you are well. You need to conserve your energy," muttered Haku into his tea.

Zeniba found it quite endearing. "See, Chihiro? Haku only has your best interests at heart. Don't be too mad at him; he only wants you to be safe."

"I know," said Chihiro, smiling as she found Haku's hand under the table and squeezed it. Haku smiled back.

"What are you two going to do for the rest of the day?" asked Zeniba.

"I don't know," said Haku, turning to Chihiro. "What do you want to do? I don't have to be back in the office today, and I left Lin in charge; which might not have been a good idea."

"Oh, I don't know," said Chihiro whimsically. The truth was, she knew _exactly_ where she wanted to go; she just didn't want to say it front of Zeniba. "Whatever you want to do, I suppose."

"Might I suggest," said Zeniba, "that you revisit some places, relive memories of your last time here?"

"That's a good idea, Granny," said Chihiro. She couldn't help thinking that the old witch could read her mind.

Haku and Chihiro left Zeniba's house a little later, waving good-bye to he and No Face. Standing outside, Haku turned to Chihiro and asked, "So, where _do_ you want to go?"

"Do you remember the garden on the other side of the bridge that you took me to? Where you gave me my clothes and told me to remember my name?"

"Yes, I do."

"That's where I want to go. It's so peaceful there."

"Well, then, hop on," said Haku, smiling. He transformed into his dragon form again and Chihiro climber on. They took off and Chihiro admired the view. Green tree tops were passing under her feet, and the river looked pristine and crystal. She breathed deeply and the smell of the forest came to her. Fresh evergreens, towering trees, beautiful flowers, and the smell of the water; it was enough to make even a bitter old man crack a smile.

Haku touched down in the garden ten minutes later. When he did, he bucked a little and sent the tiny Chihiro flying. Haku transformed and caught her in his arms, bridal-style. Chihiro laughed and buried her head in his shoulder. He carried her to a wall lined with creeping flowers and sat down. Chihiro looked around and sighed. "This place is still beautiful."

"I've been keeping it since you left," said Haku, bending his knees and leaning back against the wall. He looked up. "I knew how much you liked it here. I tried to keep it just the way it was."

"Aww," said Chihiro, smiling. "Thank you, Haku. That means a lot to me." She looked over and saw a bunch of pretty blue and white flowers. _Just like Haku,_ she thought as she sniffed them. She looked back to Haku and saw he had his hand out. Enclosed in it were two flowers, one blue and one pink. Chihiro looked at Haku; his eyes were hidden by his bangs, but his cheeks were aflame.

"Aww, Haku," cooed Chihiro, taking the flowers. She kissed him on the cheek and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to his chest. She looked deep into his eyes, which now seemed to be turning the color of emerald. In that instant, it came.

"I love you," she whispered.

* * *

_Author's Note: Ohh! Squeals She said it! Yay! Keep reading to find out the rest._

_PS. I feel rather stupid asking this, but how do you update your actual profile, the one that tells about you and everything you've written? Please review!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: My updates might start to slow down, because I'm going back to school. I'll try to get more on the weekend. I'm going to try to get at least one per day up. Please review!_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Back Through The Tunnel**

It had been two weeks since the garden, and Chihiro and Haku could not be happier. They were now spending almost every waking moment together. Chihiro would spend the morning with Haku in his office, where she would help him read over documents, and he, in turn, would walk with her around the bathhouse.

The weather was now starting to turn chilly, as winter was only a week away. Haku would not let Chihiro out of the bathhouse unless she was wearing two layers of clothes and one of his over-shirts. Chihiro couldn't complain; she was still unusually thin and was very sensitive to the cold. Haku also made her take a hot bath every night, to warm her up. She would undress, wrap a towel around her chest, hiding her, and get into the bath. Haku would sit on the tub deck and keep her company while she soaked. Sometimes he would converse with her, make her laugh, but more often, he would just sit there and watch her, glad she was with him.

One day, as Chihiro and Haku were coming in from outside, Chihiro noticed the weather. The clouds looked like they were going to snow. This made her remember something she had left behind in the human world. She brought it up during her bath.

"Haku?" she said softly, sinking a bit deeper into the water.

"Hmm?" answered Haku, opening one eye and looking at her, his head perched in his hand.

"I was wondering?"

"Yes?"

"You said that one of the conditions of you taking on the bathhouse was that we were allowed to come and go as we please?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean to the human world as well?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I just remembered. Back in the human world, when I was waiting for you to come, I made myself a stuffed animal. It was the only friend I had for those six years."

Haku did not answer. Guilt was bubbling inside him, mixing with anger. He had left her for six years, and as a result, she had undergone physical and mental abuse no being should ever be subjected to.

"Whenever it snowed, it was my only companion, so I would go out and play with it. At night, I would stand at my window and witch the snow falling, and wish that you were there. I made a promise to myself that one day, I would stand next to you and we would watch the snow fall together." Chihiro thought about what she had just said and blushed. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down at the water. "That sounded really stupid."

"No," said Haku, placing his hand under chin and lifting her head. He stared down into her innocent chocolate eyes. "Don't apologize. I'll help you keep that promise."

"Thank you," said Chihiro softly.

"Now, why did you want to know if we could go to the human world?"

"Well, I feel bad; you see, I left my stuffed animal in my room. It just seems cruel to leave it alone at a time when it helped me so much. I know it seems silly, it is just a toy, but I feel a kind of connection with it."

"I understand," said Haku. He really did not want to go to the human world that had treated his beloved so horribly, let alone back to the place that housed Chihiro's parents, the terrible offenders that they were. However, when he looked at Chihiro's eyes again, he completely caved. "Alright," he said, all ill feelings pouring out if him. "We will go tomorrow night, when no one will know we are gone."

"Thank you, Haku!" squealed Chihiro, jumping out of the water and splashing Haku. He smiled as he pushed his drenched hair out of his face.

The next night, Haku and Chihiro were in Kamajii's broiler room with Lin and Kamajii himself.

"Right," said Haku, adjusting the sling bag around his neck, "Lin, you're in charge. If anything happens, come to the bridge and yell for me; I'll hear. Kamajii, you keep an eye on things as well."

"Alright," the two answered. Chihiro waved bye to them as she and Haku left the bathhouse.

Once they had crossed the bridge, Chihiro turned to Haku and asked, "Why do we have to leave at night?"

"So no one will know I am gone."

"Why is that?"

"The workers still have old fantasies of Yubaba, and believe I will be like her. When she was in charge, the workers had all their freedoms and dignities withheld. They tried many times to rise against her. They failed of course," he said with a small smirk.

"Why?"

"Yubaba sent me to, err, _disorganize_ them," he said, now smiling to himself. "A few of our employees still harbor thoughts that I might treat them as she did, and may be tempted to try to seize the bathhouse in my absence."

"Oh," said Chihiro, "I never thought that things were that serious."

"They are."

They had reached the tunnel that led to the human world.

"Ladies first," said Haku, bowing to her. Chihiro giggled and took his hand. They walked through together.

* * *

_For FrubaForever; I meant **I'm** from the boondocks, but our small mall is only about 25 minutes away. But I envy you, you're up north! How lucky. Bye, guys!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: Alright, I'll admit, even the best authors have thier off days, and boy have I had one. It's not really that great to begin with, but ends fairly well. I promise I'll have better chapters soon. Please review!_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: In The Human World**

Chihiro and Haku came to the end of the tunnel. They stepped out and looked around.

"We're in the human world," announced Haku.

"Yep," confirmed Chihiro. _There's that creepy statue_, she thought, looking at the aged stone monkey-thing.

They walked on until they came to a road.

"This road leads to my house," said Chihiro, starting to run.

"Chihiro, wait!" cried Haku. _She is going to kill herself if she keeps expending energy like this,_ he thought as he ran after her.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Chihiro's old house. All the lights were out.

"There are no lights on," said Haku, "maybe no one's home."

"Maybe," said Chihiro, walking to the front door. "But then again, they probably stopped paying the electric bill." She opened the unlocked front door and stepped in. "I don't hear any munching; I guess they went out to eat."

Haku noticed the hurt in her voice and looked at her. Her eyes had become dark, lifeless; a complete contrast to a few minutes ago, and she had grown very pale. _She's becoming the same poor, helpless girl she was before I came,_ realized Haku. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her.

"Chihiro," he whispered gently, "you're alright. I'm here." This seemed to bring her around a bit. She turned around and smiled a little.

"Thanks," she said, hugging him. "It's just…"

"You're hurt," said Haku, anger rising slightly.

"Yes," said Chihiro, bowing her head slightly. "I didn't know what to expect, but I thought that they would at least miss me. I guess I expected too much."

"No, Chihiro," said Haku, pulling her closer. "You didn't expect too much; you're parents did too little."

She looked up ay him. "Thank you." She turned and bounded up the stairs with more energy than she had had when she lived in the house. She opened the door to her old room.

"It's exactly the way I left it," said Chihiro as Haku came up behind her. She walked to her bed and lifted the skirt. She reached her hand under the bed and began searching.

Haku strolled over to the window and looked out. _This is where I watched Chihiro,_ he thought, _for six long years. I wonder if she knows I really_ did_ watch the snow fall with her?_ His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Chihiro's voice.

"Got it!" she exclaimed triumphantly, withdrawing her hand from under the bed. In it was a stuffed animal like Haku had never seen. It was a blue and white dragon, just like himself when he transformed. It had a gentle look on its face. _So this is what kept Chihiro company in my absence,_ thought Haku, looking at the toy intently. _Good likeness. Chihiro said she made this? Wow._

"What do you think?" asked Chihiro, embarrassed. "I know it's only a toy, but I needed something to remember what you looked like." She blushed furiously.

"I think it's wonderful," said Haku, giving her a one-armed hug. "It's—"

But what exactly it was, we would not know, because at that exact moment, they heard the front door open and close and the sound of heavy footsteps trudging up the stairs. Chihiro froze, the dragon clutched to her chest.

"They're home," she said faintly. _What are we going to do?_ she thought, looking around desperately for a means of escape.

Haku, however, had different plans. _This is it,_ he thought. _Now I will make them pay for what they have done to Chihiro._ His blood boiled red hot, and his eyes turned a cold, icy green. He balled his hands into fists and walked toward the door.

"Haku!" cried Chihiro quietly. "What are you doing?" Haku just stood there, his bangs hiding his eyes as he stared at the door.

"Haku!" whispered Chihiro, panicking. She could hear her parents coming closer. "Come on!" Haku merely stood in the doorway.

"_Haku!_" pleaded Chihiro desperately. There were tears in her eyes and her heart was constricted with fear.

Inside Haku's head, a battle was raging; revenge or his love. He could barely hear Chihiro's pleas through his own clouded thoughts.

_They hurt Chihiro._

_So take her away now, before they do more harm._

_They must pay._

_They will. But you must go now._

_The stupid, greedy, pigs._

_You need to tone down your protective instincts._

_Revenge!_

_Life!_

Haku looked into the hall and saw the enormous shadows of Chihiro's parents. He turned around and looked at Chihiro. There were tears in her eyes and she looked frightened to death. At that moment, he made his decision. He quickly and silently crossed the room and took Chihiro's hand. He led her to the window and opened it. With Chihiro in his arms, Haku jumped from the second floor window. Chihiro wanted to scream, but didn't. She just buried her head in his shirt and shut her eyes tightly. She felt the gentle thud as they touched down.

"Chihiro," said Haku, turning to face her. "Get on my back, you're running out of energy, and this will be much faster. Chihiro nodded and climbed onto his back as he transformed. They rose into the air and flew back towards the tunnel, looking like a streaking star in the night star. Chihiro huddled into Haku's back and buried her face in his blue mane. "Thank you," she said, "for taking me back." And with that, she fell into an exhausted sleep.

When they reached the tunnel, Haku transformed back to his human form and carried Chihiro back to the spirit world, the toy dragon still clutched in her hand.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Like I said, not that great, but it will get better. I have a great idea for the next chapter, which should be up tomorrow. I need some ideas for the revenge on Chihiro's parents, so feel free to throw them out there (please, T or lower, preferably something that will leave them shaken and not dead, but elimination is still an option). To FrubaForever; I completely understand. Any car ride wears me out, let alone a 3 hour one...oh dear. I don't really like the south because no one agrees with my views, and not that many people like anime or manga. They think it's either stupid or 'the devil's work.' My cousin and I are like the black sheep of the family bacause we both like it. Oh well, can't choose where you're born though, can you? Sighs long disappointed sigh Bye guys! _


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: This chapter is definately short, but I have other stuff to do at the moment, so this will have to suffice. I **promise** to have a better and longer chapter tomorrow! Sumimasen!_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: The Illness**

Chihiro woke up the next morning as usual; wrapped in the covers and snuggled to Haku. She still held her toy dragon in her arms.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," said Haku, his eyes twinkling. Chihiro turned over in his arms and stretched her arms above her head.

"Good morning," she yawned sleepily. "What's for eating?"

Haku laughed. "Whatever you want."

"Good."

And the rest of the day went passed just like all the others, fairly uneventful. The next day, however, was a little different.

Haku woke up before Chihiro, as he normally did, but when he looked at her, she didn't look too well.

"Chihiro," he said when she opened her eyes, "are you alright."

"Mmm…yeah," she said slowly. "My head just hurts a little."

They went to breakfast, and Haku loaded his plate. He noticed Chihiro barely ate anything, though, and started to worry a bit. "You need to eat, Chihiro," he said.

"I know," she replied. "I guess I'm just not hungry."

"Alright…"

Next Haku accompanied Chihiro on her usual rounds through the bathhouse. First to a few of the smaller rooms on the upper floors, then to the larger rooms further down. As they left one of the frog spirits to clean the largest tub in the house, Haku noticed Chihiro faltering in her steps a bit.

"Be careful," he warned as he put out his arms in case he needed to catch her. "Do you feel okay?"

"Y-yeah," she replied faintly, holding onto his arms for support. She was lying; she didn't feel well at all. She was dizzy, her head hurt, she had cold shivers running through her, her stomach hurt, and she was having trouble seeing straight. Haku didn't believe her. He grabbed her shoulders and gently spun her around.

"Chihiro, you're lying," he said sternly, although his insides were twisting with concern. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Don't…feel good…dizzy," she mumbled. Suddenly, her legs gave out and Haku made a wild grab for her. He caught her and cradled her in his arms.

"Chihiro? Chihiro!" he said, trying to bring her around. "_Chihiro!_"

Chihiro made a feeble attempt at coherent communication, then sighed slightly and slumped her head into Haku's chest.

"CHIHIRO!" cried Haku. _What do I do?_ he thought. Then it came to him. _Kamajii, he'll know what to do!_ He raced off to the broiler room with Chihiro in his arms, his heat constricted with fear.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! To Dreamz; really? I suppose it's just the area I'm in. Lucky you. To Spiked Dragon; that's a great idea, I'll have to include that. Thanks! Hey, guys, I need more ideas for punishment for Chihiro's parents in the 'revenge' part of the story. Thanks!_


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's Note: Alright, yetsreday's wasn't the greatest, but I promised a longer chapter, so I hope this is long enough. Read and Review!_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Kamajii's Diagnosis**

_Come on, Chihiro,_ thought Haku as he dashed down the hall towards the broiler room, a blur to all those who saw him. _You have to be okay._

"KAMAJII!" yelled Haku as burst through the door, Chihiro in his arms.

"Master Haku, why are you yelling—" stated the old man, but when he caught sight of Chihiro, his voice filled with concern. "What's wrong with Sen?"

"I don't know," said Haku, his heart hammering against his chest. "She just said she didn't feel good; then she fainted. I had hoped you could tell me."

"I'll see if I can find anything," said Kamajii, turning to the wall. "We need bedding in here!" The little soot balls scurried to where Haku was standing and made another pallet at his feet. He gently laid Chihiro down and kneeled next to her, taking her hand.

"Tell me her symptoms," Kamajii yelled from inside his secret room.

"Uh, she's really pale and clammy, she said earlier that she had a headache, she wasn't hungry, and right before she collapsed, she said she felt dizzy," yelled back Haku.

"Hmm…could be Triphony Fever…no, that has facial swelling…maybe Fardenry's Disease…not it either, she doesn't have black spots on her body…"

Haku just stared down at Chihiro's pale face, wondering what the hell was taking the old man so long. Her eyes scrunched tightly every now and again and her mouth twisted in pain. He took her small hand and felt the shivers.

"And she's shaking," he yelled to Kamajii.

"There goes Lylomginitus," Kamajii muttered. "Does she have a fever?"

Haku placed his hand lightly on Chihiro's forehead and held back a small gasp. "She's burning up!"

"Hmm…" was all the old man said.

Haku held Chihiro's hand tightly and pressed it to his lips. Her hand was so clammy. He looked back down at her face and saw that she was starting to sweat.

"Anything else?" asked Kamajii.

"She's sweating a lot."

A few minutes later, Kamajii had the answer. "Aha!" he cried. He reappeared with a book in one of his hands.

"What?"

"The Influenza," replied Kamajii, adjusting his glasses.

"The Influ— I've heard of that somewhere before," said Haku, trying desperately to remember.

"It's a virus from the human world," said Kamajii, reading from the book. "I don't have much useful information on it, only the symptoms."

"Well, what do we do for her?" asked Haku impatiently.

Kamajii looked down at the book again. "I don't know." Haku's heart plummeted. "The best I can figure," continued Kamajii, "we need to keep her confined and on bed rest. We need to get her fever down and keep her warm."

"Alright," said Haku, gazing back down at Chihiro.

Twenty minutes later, Haku was sitting by the futon he shared with Chihiro in their room. He was just sitting there; Chihiro hadn't woken up yet. Haku sighed as he dipped a cloth into a pail of water beside him and placed it gently on her head. Chihiro merely sighed, but otherwise showed no sign that she even knew Haku was there. He sighed despondently. _Please wake up_, he thought.

"Mmmm…"

Haku's heart flittered when he heard this noise. He looked down at Chihiro's face, hoping to see her eyelids flutter, but no such luck. She just turned her head, nothing more. Haku's heart ached; he wished she would wake up.

He turned his head suddenly as Lin dashed into the room, not bothering to knock.

"Kamajii just told me," she said quickly, sitting down next to Haku. "So we don't know what to do?"

"No," replied Haku sadly, looking down at Chihiro's small frame shivering beneath the covers. He took her hand that had managed to free itself from the blankets. It was still very clammy. Lin watched Haku's tender display of emotions. _Aww,_ she thought, _I've never seen this side of Haku before. It's really cute._ She hid a small smile.

"Well, if you need anything," said Lin, rising and walking to the door, "you know where to find me."

"Thank you."

Later that night, Haku was still sitting next to Chihiro, rotating the cloth, trying to keep her fever in check. He dipped the cloth into the water and wiped her sweaty face off, then placed it back. He sighed again and looked down at her face. He began to run his hand through her hair, taking comfort in the silky almond strands flowing between his fingers. Then he heard a small, soft voice, whimpering.

"Ha…Haku…please…Ha…ku," Chihiro cried softly.

"It's alright, little one," crooned Haku gently, pulling a pet name from his mind. "I'm here." He ran his fingers through her hair again.

"Ha…ku…Haku…lay…next…me."

Haku understood. He took his shirt off and slid quietly under the covers next to Chihiro. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her to him, resting her head on his chest. Somewhere in the depths of Chihiro's tired and illness-stricken mind, the sound of Haku's steady heartbeat soothed and lulled her into a calm and placid sleep.

* * *

_Seems fairl fluffy to me. But, oh well. And how do I manage to update so fast? I come home in the afternoons at 3:30, log onto the computer, upload the chapter i typed the night before, get off the net, and type a chapter or two for the next day. Pretty simple. Now, if I put this in bold big print, maybe people will pay attention**. GUYS, I NEED IDEAS FOR HAKU'S REVENGE AGAINST CHIHIRO'S PARENTS**. Please review! Thanks! _


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's Note: Alright, thanks for the reviwes! I got some great ideas! Ok, this is a treat; I've got **two** new chapters. Unfortunately, they're both very short. But I will be back tomorrow with more. Please review!_

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: The Severity And Tenderness Of Haku**

The next morning, Haku woke to Chihiro sitting up in bed, coughing ferociously. He immediately sat up and put his hands on her shoulders and patted her back. When her coughing subsided and she had caught her breath, Haku helped her lie back down, though she was still breathing heavily. He felt her forehead; she was still very hot.

"Do you feel any better?" Haku asked.

"No, not really," said Chihiro hoarsely.

"I'm sorry," said Haku, gently smoothing her hair.

"Thank you," murmured Chihiro, turning slightly and drifting into an uneasy sleep.

Haku didn't know what else to do. Enemy attacks, rebellious workers, spiteful spirits and demons, he could handle, but put his Chihiro in a situation where there were no villains to fight, and he was helpless. He did not like the feeling. He watched Chihiro toss and turn fitfully for two hours until Lin came in to check on her.

"Haku," she said gently, "go down to the kitchens and get some food. You need to eat."

Haku looked down at Chihiro, his eyes full of apprehension. "No, Lin, I need to stay with Chihiro."

"_I'll_ stay with Chihiro, _you_ go eat," said Lin, finality in her voice. Haku hesitated, then stood, mumbled a small appreciation, and walked out the door.

Haku quickly wolfed down his breakfast in record time and was about to go back to Chihiro when Boh (Yubaba had gone on vacation and left Boh at the bathhouse) caught him and told him they were having trouble with a large snake spirit who refused to leave. Haku, slightly agitated, followed Boh to one of the large rooms and found the problem.

A large snake spirit was curled in a tub with his head sticking out and his tongue flicking, looking menacing and daring someone to challenge him. The yunas were all cowering in one corner, quaking in the shadow of the frightening spirit.

"See," said Boh, indicating the huge reptile in the middle of the room.

"Yes, I do," replied Haku, his bangs hiding his eyes. Peeved, he walked to the bath and confronted the snake. "Who are you?" he said forcefully.

"I am Orochimaru," hissed the snake spirit.

"And why won't you leave? It's past time for closing," pointed out Haku.

"I don't feel like it. I've had a very long night, ssso I deccided to come here to relaxss. And no one will turn me away," replied Orochimaru, bearing his fangs.

"The bathhouse is closed. Leave now, or suffer the consequences," said Haku, bearing his own dragon fangs. The snake seemed taken aback, but quickly recovered.

"I will not leave."

"Yes, you will," said Haku, thoroughly pissed. "You will leave now before I become angrier and _make_ you leave."

"I will not leave."

This pushed Haku's final button. His hair started to fly as if a breeze were blowing it, though there was no wind in the room, and he balled his hands into fists at his side. He lifted his head, burrowing his cold jade eyes into the snake and bearing his fangs. "You will leave now," he said in a menacing whisper.

"Do you dare—?"

"LEAVE NOW!" yelled Haku, his anger boiling over. "I AM NOT IN A MOOD TO BE MESSED WITH. I HAVE NOT EATEN A DECENT MEAL IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, AND THE ONE THAT I LOVE IS INCREDIBLY ILL. I NEED TO RETURN TO HER AND YOU ARE STANDING IN MY WAY. REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THIS BATHHOUSE OR I WILL!"

The snake spirit was speechless. Haku toned down a bit, turned, and gracefully walked out of the door. The snake left within two minutes. Haku set off back to his room at full speed. He raced up stairs and down halls. He found his room and rushed inside.

"Haku!" said Lin reproachfully as he burst in.

"Lin," replied Haku testily.

"What was that all about?" continued Lin. She had heard the commotion downstairs; everyone in the bathhouse had.

"_Lin_," whispered Haku menacingly, "I am not in the mood for this. Please leave now. I will call you if Chihiro needs anything." Lin only nodded and turned to leave. When she was outside and the door was shut firmly behind her, she quietly whispered, "Don't worry, Chihiro; the one who loves you will take care of you."

Back in the room, Haku took up his previous post by Chihiro. He noticed she was still sweating. He dipped the cloth back into the water and wiped her face, then placed it on her forehead as he checked her temperature. She was still burning up. He sighed disappointedly as he pulled the covers up and tucked them around her. Chihiro only moaned slightly and turned her head.

_My little one_, thought Haku, smoothing her hair back from her moist face. _Please get better soon. I don't know what to do without you._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen: Kamajii's Love**

Kamajii was in his usual post in his broiler room. As he pulled the levers and got the commands, he kept an eye on the slumbering Chihiro. As she tossed and turned in her fitful sleep, Kamajii thought about the events earlier that day. It had started when Haku had burst through his door.

"Kamajii, I need you to look after Chihiro," said Haku in a rush, laying Chihiro down on the blankets he had brought with him.

"Why, Master Haku?" Kamajii had asked.

"She woke up this morning and I tried to give her some food; she hasn't eaten in four days. As soon as she ate, she threw it all back up again. I'm going to get Zeniba; maybe she'll know what to do."

"Can't you find Lin?"

"No, I've looked everywhere for her, but I can't seem to locate her. I need to see Zeniba immediately. Watch her."

"Alright," agreed Kamajii. "Hurry back." And with that, Haku gave Chihiro a light kiss on her burning forehead, turned, and swept gracefully out of the broiler room.

Kamajii sighed, coming out of his thoughts when Chihiro moaned.

"Ha…Haku," she murmured softly. Kamajii stuck one of his arms out to check her temperature.

"Sen," he said with concern, "you're burning up." Chihiro sat straight up, throwing the blankets from her.

"Haku!" she said hoarsely.

"He's not here right now," said Kamajii soothingly.

"Where?" she asked, her big chocolate eyes turning on him.

"He went to get Zeniba, to ask her to help you. He's worried about you."

"Granny? Worried…'bout...me?"

"Yes," said Kamajii, pulling a lever behind him without turning around. "We all are."

"Don't need…to…be," said Chihiro slowly, trying to form coherent sentences.

"Yes, we do," said Kamajii, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You need to lie back down," he said, gently pushing her back down. Suddenly, Chihiro's hands flew to her mouth and she started heaving. "Sen, what's wrong?"

"Gonna…be sick," she said in between gags. Kamajii grabbed the nearest trashcan and thrust it under Chihiro's chin. She removed her hands and buried her head inside the receptacle, heaving her stomach contents into its depths. When she emerged, she looked even paler than before. She started to shake uncontrollably and collapsed in a heap on top of the blankets. Kamajii picked her up and laid her straight, covering her back up.

_This is all too familiar_, he thought, looking sadly at the girl. _This is just like what happened sixty years ago._ He thought forlornly back to the girl he had known so long ago. Her long ebony hair flowing freely about her, her large, stunning blue eyes, wide and innocent, her smile that could melt even the coldest man's stone heart. _Oh, Kyoko_, he thought sadly.

It was in the winter of 1947 in Little Kyoto. He had met Kyoko Yukimura, the love of hi life, seven months before. He was just a lowly spirit with no status at all. She was an orphan whose brother had died in World War II. All alone, she had been crying in an alleyway when he found her; it was love at first sight.

He remembered her soft voice, like silk, and she always smelled of lavender and honey. She was heaven on earth. He had asked her to marry him only a month before that fateful day.

She came home one day, shaking and weak. She said she was dizzy and passed out in his arms. He had cared for her for three weeks, but she only became worse. The fever set in, then the chills and shakes. She had been clammy, yet her head was on fire. She began to vomit, then coughed blood. He could do nothing. He only stood by her bed, day in, day out, doing nothing except cooling her fever and holding her hand. He gave her as much support as he possibly could, keeping constant vigil at her bedside. But it had been all for naught.

She died after the twenty-third day of becoming ill. It was only a week before they were to be married.

Kamajii looked down at Chihiro, his eyes clouded. _I hope_, he thought to himself, _that you are well. For yours and Haku's sakes._

* * *

_Aww, a look at Kamajii's past. Poor thing. I almost felt bad as I wrote it. Oh, well, I'll be back later; find out what happens._


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's Note: Really short...too short. Another chapter will be up before the end of the day. It's officially the weekend, so I have a lot of time to write more. And don't worry; I won't kill Chihiro off. That doesn't make sense; there wouldn't be much of a story that way. Please read and review! Thanks!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Zeniba's Advice**

As Haku the dragon flew threw the sky at lightening pace, all his thought were with the frail girl lying on the floor of Kamajii's broiler room. He could not stop himself from worrying.

_Faster, faster!_ he willed himself, cursing his stupid body for being so slow and lumbering. Why couldn't he go any faster? _Chihiro, please, be okay. Please hang on. I'm going as fast as I can. I promise, I'll find a way to make you better._

He found Zeniba's house on the island and hurled himself down toward it, transforming twenty feet above the ground. As he touched gently down on the grass, he immediately moved his feet to the house. As he reached the door, he did not knock, but banged on it. yelling.

"Zeniba!" he yelled, pounding on the door. As he was about to bring his fist upon the door again, it opened.

"Haku, what in the world is the matter?" asked Zeniba, looking closely at him. "You don't look well at all; is something wrong?"

"Yes," said Haku, rushing through his words. "Chihiro is sick with an illness from the human world; influenza. She's so weak and hasn't been getting any better in the two weeks since she's been stricken. I need your help. Please come."

"Calm down," said Zeniba, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I will come with you. Let's go." And without further word, Haku grabbed her hand and pulled her into the grass. He transformed and Zeniba climbed on, then they took off as fast as Haku could go.

They arrived back at the bathhouse in a record five minutes. Zeniba slipped off of Haku's back and hurried into the broiler room. Haku transformed again and hurried in after her, pushing his body to move forward, to get to Chihiro.

Inside, Zeniba was bending over Chihiro, inspecting the poor girl. Haku pulled himself inside and drug himself to a wall near Chihiro, collapsing against it. He had pushed himself too hard and he knew it. His body ached, his head was pounding and his heart hammered against his chest. As he tried to regain his breath, he looked at Chihiro. _As long as it helps her,_ he thought, _then I don't care. I'd tear my body to shreds if it meant she would be okay._ He allowed his head to slump to the side as his breath returned, though his lungs were on fire.

"Haku." Zeniba's words snapped Haku out of his musings.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, I can do nothing." Haku's heart dropped. Zeniba had been his last hope.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked, despair swelling inside him.

"Well, since this is a human illness, why don't you try taking her back for human medicine," said Zeniba. She saw the glare Haku was giving her. "Would you rather her die?" she snapped at him. "Because that's the way she's heading now." Haku recoiled a bit, taking in her last words. _Die? She was going to die? No, he didn't want that. He would not allow that to happen to her._

"Alright," he said resolutely. "I'll take her tonight. Let me prepare."


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Note: I'ts been a bit of a blah day (blame my art class), but my muse (I call her Umeko, I don't know why) got bored and ran off, so a lot of this story is not very good. But she came back near the end, so it might not be half bad. I hope you like it. Please review!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: Human Medicines**

That night, with Zeniba residing over the bathhouse, Haku set off to the human world with Chihiro in his arms. He did not dare transform and carry her, for she might fall off. Instead, he moved quickly, cradling her in his arms with a small bag of clothing hanging from his right hand. He reached the tunnel and crossed through it, emerging on the other side.

He realized at that point that he had no idea where he was going. Chihiro had been his guide. He had followed her to her home and school, but nowhere else. _What am I supposed to do now?_ _Where do I go?_ Clueless, he trudged along a road, hoping for some kind of indication.

Thirty minutes later, he came upon a sign. It read 'Hospital: 1 mile ahead.'

_Yes!_ The hospital was close. But a mile was a rather long way to go. He glanced down at Chihiro in his arms. She was shaking and shivering. _She's so small, so frail,_ he thought, his heart constricting with worry. He didn't care; he had to get Chihiro to the hospital. He shifted her to his back and transformed. He flew fast, but being careful not to let Chihiro fall off.

He touched down in the parking lot of the hospital in human form and rushed into the emergency exit door. He ran to the front desk with Chihiro in his arms.

"Can I help you?" asked the receptionist.

"Yes," rushed Haku, indicating Chihiro. "She has influenza. Please, help her. She's shaking and has a burning fever."

"Bring her around here," said the receptionist, standing up. Haku brought Chihiro around the desk and was directed to a room. Inside, he set Chihiro down on the bed and covered her with the blankets. Haku's attention was diverted when he heard a stranger enter the room. He turned around, his protective instincts flaring in the midst of his panic.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Fujihiro," said the stranger, bowing slightly. Haku inclined his head slightly at the man. "And you would be?" coaxed the doctor.

"Kohaku Nigihayami," said Haku, turning back to Chihiro. "And this is Chihiro Ogino."

"I see," said Dr. Fujihiro. He stepped to the bed and took Chihiro's pulse. "Hmm, not weak, but not strong, either. Do you know what is wrong with her?"

"Influenza."

"The flu," considered Dr. Fujihiro. "Yes, it fits the symptoms. However, it usually does not become this severe, but then again, she is very thin."

"Can you help her?" asked Haku, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"Yes, I believe so," said Dr. Fujihiro, walking around to a desk. He opened the drawer and withdrew a slip of paper. Clicking his pen and scrabbling on the paper, he said, "We'll give her a flu shot which should get her over the worst of it. Take this prescription and fill it; the antibiotics should clear away the rest." He handed Haku the slip of paper. "And I'd like to commit her for the night."

"What?"

"I think it would be best if Chihiro stayed the night here at the hospital. We'll observe her and if she's better in the morning, then she can go home."

Haku thought about this quietly for a moment. They needed to get back to the bathhouse, but then again, Chihiro's health was more important. Zeniba could keep control for another day. "Fine," agreed Haku. He looked down at the paper. "Err, where can I fill this at?" He knew the word lingo when he was a river and people would talk around him.

"There is a small drugstore down the road. They should have it ready within an hour."

"Thank you," said Haku. He looked back down at Chihiro. The doctor noticed.

"Don't worry; we'll take care of her. Hurry; you need to fill that prescription and be back here before visiting hours are over," he said. He looked at Haku and said with a twinkle, "If you can slip in here, you might be able to spend the night in her room."

Five minutes later, Haku was standing in the modest drug store, milling around while waiting for the medicine. He had ran to Chihiro's parents house and taken what little bit of money they had (they were out again eating). It was the least they owed their daughter.

Haku walked down a clothing aisle and looked around. He saw a rack holding winter clothes and decided to inspect it; knowing that Chihiro needed warmer garments. He looked at sweater after sweater, but nothing jumped out at him as her type. He was about to give up when his hands landed on an attractive coat. Haku picked it up and examined it. It was long, down to Chihiro's knees, and a beautiful emerald green. The material was a heavy velvet on the outside and smooth silk on the inside. It flared at the hips and had a fluffy green collar and cuffs. It was intricately embroidered with a long silver dragon that led from shoulder to shoulder, down the breast, around the waist, and ended at a flare near the hem. _Chihiro will love it_, thought Haku as he turned it around. He took out the money he had taken from Chihiro's parents; 2,500 yen. The medicine would cost 1,500 yen. He looked at the price tag on the coat; 2,000 yen. He sighed. _One thousand yen short_, he thought. A voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Son," said the kindly old man, "you're prescription is ready." He noticed Haku looking at the coat. "Do you like that coat?"

"I wanted it for someone, but it's too expensive," said Haku, putting it back.

"Is that someone the same someone that this medicines is for?"

"Yes."

The old man looked thoughtful for a moment. His wife walked over to him while stocking the shelves and said to him, "Go on, Takehiro; help the boy out." The old man looked at her and smiled.

"Son, I'll tell you what; if you promise that this coat will go to someone special, then I'll knock the price down to one thousand yen."

"Really?"

"Of course," said the old man, smiling widely. "I know what it's like to have just enough money for what you need, but not for the one you love."

"Thank you."

Ten minutes later, Haku landed yet again in the hospital parking lot. He followed the doctor's instructions to get back inside the hospital after hours. He walked quietly down the hall until he reached a door with the label 'Ogino, C.' He opened the door and slipped in silently. He walked over to the bed after dropping his purchases on the small rolling table. He looked down ay Chihiro and realized that she was awake; he large chocolate eyes were open.

"Hi," he said quietly as he sat down in a chair. "How long have you been awake?"

"About an hour," said Chihiro, sitting up. "I've been trying to find the television remote, but I can't. So," she turned her eyes on him, "How did we get here and where have you been?"

Haku simply smiled and explained. He wrapped it up five minutes later. "I went to the store, got your medicine, and came back. They said that if you're better in the morning, then we can go back. The shot the doctor gave you works fast; you seem better already."

"Thanks," said Chihiro. She looked over Haku's shoulder and saw his purchases. "What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, I know you'll need a coat for the winter, so I got this for you," he said, getting it and brining it to her. She felt it and smiled.

"Aww, Haku, thank you!" She threw her thin arms around his neck and hugged him. That night, Haku watched over Chihiro as she slept until he dozed off himself in the chair next to the bed.

The next morning, the doctor made good on his promise. Chihiro's fever had reduced dramatically, she had stopped shaking, and she ate a fairly large breakfast, so the doctor released her at noon. Haku helped Chihiro into her new coat as they left the hospital (Chihiro never asked where Haku had gotten the money from, she was too out of it to care) and they walked slowly back to the tunnel.

Haku watched Chihiro as they walked, his arms out, ready to catch her if she faltered. All of her eating at the bathhouse had been for naught; since she had been sick, Chihiro had lost twenty pounds, which now left her at a measly ninety pounds. Haku sighed at all the wasted progress, but resigned himself to helping her get better.

They reached the tunnel and walked through. When they emerged on the other side, Haku transformed and Chihiro hopped on, some energy restored. They rode to the bathhouse together and landed outside the broiler room. They went inside to show everyone Chihiro was alright.

As Chihiro spun around to show Lin and Zeniba her new coat, Kamajii though to himself, _I'm glad it ended this way, instead of my fate. I hope you two children have a long, happy life together._ As he came out of his thoughts, he joined in the merriment, yet still refusing to forget the woman that meant so much to him but was taken too soon.


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note: This chapter doesn't really add much to the overall story, it's just an inuendo. But it is needed to show the passage of time; plus, I thought it would be really cute to show the characters playing together in the snow! Please review!_

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**Chapter Twenty-Two: From Winter To Spring**

They weeks passed and Chihiro gained in weight and energy, finally able to return to her daily routine. She would run about the bathhouse, skipping and singing. She felt so much better, but had no idea why.

Haku watched her as she flitted about, smiling to himself. She was absolutely beautiful. He could find nothing more pleasurable than to follow her as she danced about, listening to her sweet voice as she carried a tune. He found that running the bathhouse was much more enjoyable when he had the assurance that he would go to sleep that night beside a beautiful, healthy Chihiro. Not that he would even think of doing anything with her, at least until she was ready, but a nagging little feeling would always creep into his mind. _It's_ coming. _That_ time of the year he had always hated. But when these thought came, he would quickly push them aside; he would worry about it later.

Chihiro now weighed in at almost one hundred pounds, but it seemed that might be her limit. Even though the dinner table looked like a kamikaze hit it after she had eaten, she didn't seem to gain a pound over one hundred. This didn't seem to bother her, however; she would just eat her fill and go about her day.

Winter came and the temperature dropped dramatically. Haku absolutely refused to let Chihiro leave the bathhouse unless he was with her, coat or not.

One day, halfway through winter, Chihiro woke before Haku. She untangled herself from his arms and, wrapping a worm robe Haku had gotten her, walked to the window. She pulled aside the curtains and gasped. A thick blanket of snow covered the ground, and still more glistening flakes were falling. Chihiro giggled, absolutely giddy with excitement. She ran to the futon and jumped on Haku. She was so light, it didn't hurt him, but he was surprised.

"Oh!" he cried, his eyes wide. He looked up at the girl straddling his stomach on top of the covers, her eyes beaming.

"It's snowing," she said happily. "Can we go out?"

"Sure," said Haku. "As long as you wear your coat."

"Yay!" Chihiro got up and danced around the room, getting dressed. Haku watched her and smile came to his lips. _She's so carefree, _he thought. _She has no idea what's coming up in a few short months._ But he drove these thoughts away again as Chihiro took his hand and led him to the door and down onto the grounds.

Outside, Chihiro became an excited little child again, running and jumping through the snow. She would frequently drop and make snow angels. Sometime around noon, Zeniba and No Face came by for a visit. The bathhouse had been officially closed for a snow day, so Lin and Boh joined them and even Kamajii made time to come enjoy the snow. Boh threw a snowball at Lin, and Lin threw one back, but missed and hit Chihiro instead, which caused Haku to become upset until Chihiro lobbed one at him, hitting him square in the face. This all led to a long snowball fight, Chihiro, Lin, and Zeniba against Haku, Kamajii, and Boh, with No Face going between sides, taking out whoever he could. In the end, Chihiro, Lin, and Zeniba won, leaving the guys sopping wet and grumbling. Haku's spirits lifted considerably, however, when Chihiro jumped on his back and kissed his cheek, making him blush. Everyone laughed. Then Zeniba and No Face had to leave; they needed to get back to their house to feed the animals. Later that day, Chihiro, Haku, Lin, Kamajii, and Boh made snow statues of themselves, all holding hands like a family. When they finally went inside after dark, they were soaked to the bone, tired, and the happiest they'd ever been. Haku stood next to Chihiro at the window with his arm around her in their room, gazing down at their small snow family. He smiled and pressed his mouth into her silky hair. _I'm the luckiest man in the world_, he thought.

The months passed and the seasons changed. Winter slowly turned to spring, much to the dismay of Haku. As the days became warmer, Haku could feel the dormant instincts stirring inside him. _Damn_, he thought savagely. _It's here._


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's Note: Aww, FrubaForever, you spoiled my mystery. Oh well, I guess that if you read most of the **Spirited Away** stories, you could've guessed it. I know it's not exactly original, but I like the idea. So, tell me what you think!_

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**Chapter Twenty-Three: Mating Season**

Spring arrived at the bathhouse much too soon for Haku's liking. He had been content with his relationship with Chihiro as it was; however, his instincts were threatening to surface.

The first few days weren't too bad; Haku could easily contain himself, even when holding Chihiro at night. The rest of the bathhouse, however, wasn't fairing as well. While they were showing up for work, they grumbled during the day while washing the baths, for not having slept much, and were a little too excited at night while tending to customers, eager to escape to the privacy of their rooms. Haku had to call down many workers for 'frolicking' during hours.

Chihiro had no idea what was going on, and Haku was reluctant to tell her. But he had to eventually, before she got herself into something she couldn't get out of. So, two weeks into spring, Haku sat with her in their room during one of his breaks from chasing employees out of spare rooms, and explained it to her.

"Chihiro, I wanted to talk to you about something," he started. _How do I say this?_ Chihiro stared at him with her beautiful chocolate eyes.

"Yes?" she coaxed.

"You need to watch yourself, Chihiro," he said, trying to gather the words.

"Why?"

"You've noticed that all the spirits are acting strange, and many are restless?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's spring, and for spirits, it's our mating season. Spirits go wild during this time, throwing all their inhibitions out the door." He looked down for a moment, then back up at Chihiro. "I am not immune to its effects. I have been alive for many, many years, and so far, I have been able to resist the temptations. However, since I've met you, I've fallen in love. That will make it very hard for me, but I will not do anything unless you want me to." Chihiro was speechless; what was she supposed to say to this? She could only blush. "I also think," continued Haku, filling the awkward silence, "that it wouldn't be a bad idea for us to find some way to protect you."

"P-protect me?" stammered Chihiro. "From what?"

"Well, it's more a precaution, really; just to be safe. I don't really think anyone will try to bother you…much. Nothing too serious, anyway. If they do, I'll deal with them." He said the last bit with bared fangs.

After Chihiro agreed to finding some sort of protection against lecherous spirits, she stayed in the room while Haku went to talk to the amorous workers. She walked to the window and stared out. Down on the grounds, a few stragglers who had escaped Haku's lecture were running off to more private areas. As Chihiro watched them absent-mindedly, her thoughts strayed to Haku's words. 'I am not immune to its effects.' What was she supposed to think? Had he not been sleeping with him in the same bed for months now? And yet he had not tried anything, not even once. But if he could not resist the temptations, would it be safe for her to continue to sleep in his arms at night? It was all too confusing.

After giving his lecture, Haku was bound and determined to find a way to protect his Chihiro. He set off immediately for Zeniba's house, to ask the old witch for some sort of spell. Ten minutes later, he was inside Zeniba's house, sitting in her kitchen and discussing protection spells.

"Do you have anything?" asked Haku.

"Well, there is a spell, which is placed on two matching items. If one of the persons wearing it is in trouble, then their item will send some kind of signal to the other item, thus alerting the wearer to the possible danger."

"Sounds good," said Haku, considering the idea. "But will it go both ways, because I deal with many dangers, and I don't want Chihiro to know."

"Don't worry, it only works one way, unless you are in great danger, then it will alert Chihiro. So, what do you say?"

"That seems the best," consented Haku. "I will be back tomorrow with matching objects." With that, he turned and left, eager to get back to Chihiro.

Chihiro, meanwhile, was still contemplating about the mating season. _What should I do? I love him, and I know he loves me, but are we ready? Am I ready?_ She sighed and propped her head in her hands, gazing out the window. She saw out of the corner of her eye her beautiful white and blue dragon flying through the air. _Well, I'd better make a decision quickly, before night comes._

Haku spent the remainder of the day searching for something suitable for he and Chihiro to wear for the spell. However, he could find nothing. So, using his resources, he went to find Lin.

"Lin!"

"Yeah, Haku? Something up with Sen?"

"No. I need to ask your advice."

Lin looked at him curiously. Haku was asking _her_ for advice? What was up? "Yeah?"

"I told Chihiro about the spirit mating season, and that I would like for her to have some protection—"

_"Ohhh."_

"_Lin_," said Haku, his eyebrows furrowing. "_Protection from lecherous spirits that might harbor ill fantasies for her_."

"Oh, so you want to protect her. So what do you need my help for?"

"I've found a spell that can be placed on an object and will alert me if she's in danger. The catch is that there has to be two matching objects. I don't know what Chihiro would like."

"It can be any object?"

"Yes."

"How about rings? Every girl likes a ring."

Haku thought about this. "Alright. Thank, Lin." And then he was off, trying to find two rings.

That night, Haku returned to the bathhouse, his mission accomplished. After dinner, Haku and Chihiro retired to their room, which Chihiro had secretly been dreading.

As they got ready for bed, Chihiro decided to give Haku a test, to see how well he resisted temptation. They both crawled into bed. Chihiro snuggled up to Haku as she usually did, but tonight, she got as close to his body as possible, laying her hand on his bares chest and resting her head in the hollow of his throat. She pushed up her nightgown slightly and rubbed her bare legs over his and could feel him shudder. She giggled inside at his discomfort, but only sighed when she was comfortable. She could feel Haku loosen a bit when she stopped moving, but she needed to see how much restraint he had, so she bent her knee slightly to where it gently pushed on that specific part of his anatomy that she was testing. She heard him gasp slightly and tense up, but she did not open her eyes, so he thought she was asleep. She moved her knee up and down slightly, as if trying to find a comfortable spot in its new resting place. Haku tensed even more and gasped, then held his breath.

As he held in the air, waiting for it to stop, he wondered to himself, _Why does she pick _now_ of all times to be a restless sleeper? This is driving me insane!_ He inhaled yet again when she turned over completely and pushed herself against him, burying her backside into his groin. He groaned; he couldn't help it, it just escaped. She finally settled down and he exhaled. Carefully, he linked his arms around her lightly and buried his face in her hair. But then he wished he hadn't, as her smell filled his nostrils and his mind clouded. He began to shake with inner desire, his instincts threatening to overcome him, but he kept them in check. Eventually, he fell into a light sleep, momentarily forgetting his instincts.

When Chihiro heard his even breaths and knew he was asleep, she smiled to herself. He had kept his word. He did not force her to do anything, no matter how she tempted him. She fell asleep shortly afterwards, knowing that she was safe from all.

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_By the way, a quick poll--For **possible** future chapters** Which would you prefer Chihiro and Haku have: a boy or a girl?** I'm pretty sure I know which one I'd put, but I want to get some insight from you guys. Thanks! R.I.P. Anna Nicole Smith_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four: The Rings Of Protection**

The next day, Haku and Chihiro woke up, got dressed, and went about their usual morning. After breakfast, Haku suggested that he and Chihiro make a trip to Zeniba's. He didn't say anymore, not wanting to give away his surprise.

An hour later, Chihiro was flying through the air, supported by Haku the dragon. Chihiro felt freer than she had in months, as Haku had kept her inside during the cold months. Today, clad in an emerald green kimono and pants-outfit (which reminded her of her old work clothes) , she twisted and turned on Haku's back, letting her long, billowing sleevs flap in the breeze. She lifted her head to feel the wind in her face. The sun shined brightly overhead, warming Chihiro's heart and she smiled. _Everything is perfect_, she thought.

They arrived at Zeniba's house and went inside. Zeniba welcomed them with tea and cake. While they ate, Zeniba and Haku discussed the idea of the protection spell with Chihiro. When she heard that it required two matching objects, Chihiro had some reservations; she didn't have total faith in Haku's ability to choose accessories.

However, when Haku pulled out a small package from his haori, and unwrapped it, Chihiro smiled. The rings were simple yet beautiful. They were silver and shiny.

"Oh," said Chihiro, noticing something. "But one is bigger than the other."

"Well, it has to be," said Haku, holding up his hand, showing the difference between his large fingers, and her small, petite ones.

"That's alright," said Zeniba, opening her spell book. "The spell allows for some differences. Here it is," she said as she flipped to the page. She ran her stubby finger over the words. "Are you two ready?"

They nodded their heads. "What do we have to do?" asked Haku.

"Well…oh," said Zeniba. "I didn't see this part."

"What does it say?" asked Chihiro.

"It says that you, Haku, must make a promise to Chihiro. A promise of partnership."

"What?" said Haku.

"Partnership; not the team kind, either. You must promise to become her, oh, what do they call it in the human world? Her husband, that's it. You must promise to become her husband."

"WHAT?" said Haku and Chihiro at the same time. Chihiro blushed profusely. Haku thought about this. Yes, he loved Chihiro very much, and had planned on asking her to be with him, but not this soon. _Then again_, he thought, _we've both been waiting for six years, and neither has moved on. I suppose we're ready._ He looked to Chihiro, who seemed to be reading his mind. She nodded and Haku turned to Zeniba.

"Alright," he said, "we'll do it."

"Wonderful," said Zeniba, smiling widely. "Give me the rings." Haku handed her the rings. "Now, take Chihiro's hand and face me. Close your eyes and concentrate." They followed her instructions. "Good, now, these words must be thought, not spoken, so I will tell you when they are ready." She closed her hands over the rings and looked down at the spell book. She read the words in her mind, chanting the mantra. The rings in her hand grew hot and glowed a bright blue, illuminating the room. Zeniba finally finished with the spell and told Chihiro and Haku to open their eyes. She gave Haku both rings and told him to face Chihiro. He did. "Good," said Zeniba. "Now, repeat the words I tell you."

"Alright."

"Chihiro, it is my wish to love you, protect you, and be with you forever," said Zeniba.

"Chihiro, it is my wish to love you, protect you, and be with you forever," repeated Haku.

"All I want is for your eternal happiness and safety," read Zeniba.

"All I want is for your eternal happiness and safety," repeated Haku.

"Will you accept this ring as a symbol of my devotion and promise of, what's this? 'Insert your binding of love'? Oh, I understand. Will you accept, yadda yadda, ring as symbol, yadda yadda, devotion and promise of mating," said Zeniba. Chihiro could barely keep a straight face. Even Haku had to suppress a smile.

"Will you accept this ring as a symbol of my devotion and promise of mating," repeated Haku, cutting out Zeniba's extra words.

"Yes," said Chihiro. Haku took her right hand (in the spirit world, engagement rings are on the right hand, marriage rings are on the left) and slid the silver ring on her ring finger. Then he slid the larger ring on his own finger. Both rings glowed bright blue, then green, and finally flashed before settling down. Chihiro held her hand up and admired her new ring. As is shined and flashed in the light, she smiled, feeling slightly giddy.

Haku looked down at his hand and looked at his ring. It looked strange; his normally bare hand now bore the sign of love. He had prided himself on his mysterious mystique; now, however, it was there for the world to see that he held someone close. But he didn't care; he wanted everyone to know he loved Chihiro…and to stay the hell away from her.

Zeniba looked at the two and smiled. _Ahh, new love_, she thought. As the couple looked at each other with admiration in their eyes, Zeniba thought to herself, _This will be a love the likes of which this world has never seen before_.

Haku and Chihiro bid Zeniba and No Face good-bye and set off for the bathhouse, back to the grumbling and amorous spirits.

They arrived and Haku went to gather the entire work force, restless or not, to announce the wonderful news. When Haku told them that he and Chihiro were to be mated, the whole bathhouse erupted in cheers, none louder than Lin, Kamajii, and Boh. They rushed to the couple. Lin and Boh hugged Chihiro while Kamajii shook Haku's hand.

That night, while Haku was getting ready for bed, Chihiro brushed her hair. She thought about their new relationship…and about Haku's mating season. The question was not did she love him enough; she did. The question was: was she ready? She thought about all those talks during school from various people about sex. Don't do it; that was the message. Then again, they had said that they would help children who were abused, yet they didn't help her. She was so confused. Then Haku's voice pulled her from her musings.

"Are you ready for bed?" he asked. When Chihiro looked at him, she had the answer to her question.

As they slid under the covers of their futon, Chihiro cuddled to Haku. She could feel him tense and knew what to do. She carefully slid her hand to his groin. Haku gasped and looked down at her, his eyes wide. She smiled at him.

"Chihiro…?" said Haku uncertainly. She nodded. He couldn't keep his instincts buried any longer. He gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. Chihiro's hands brushed his chest as she untied the ribbon around his pants. Haku easily slid off Chihiro's pajamas, shirt first, then pants.

As Haku maneuvered under the covers, he looked at Chihiro. Staring into her eyes, full of passion, he asked her once again, "Chihiro, are you sure." Chihiro smiled warmly.

"Yes."

And with that, he took her as his.

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_Okay, that's pretty much as 'in depth' as this story will go into their 'relations,' so I hope I haven't misjudged the rating. By the way, please, don't have sex until you're ready for the responsibility because we have at least six pregnant girls walking around my school, and one of my friends just found out she's pregnant. She's due in July, I think. And she's only 16. I don't look down at teen moms, just the ones who don't realize how much impact it will have on their lives. Bye!_


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note: Remeber: Chihiro and Haku are **not** married, just 'engaged.' This chapter once again doesn't add much to the story, but it does show the passage of time. Please read and review if you can find something to review about. I'll admit it myself, this chapter doesn't offer much. Bye!_

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**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Morning After** (stupid title, I know)

Chihiro woke the next morning, sleepy and warm. She felt Haku stir slightly. When he did, Chihiro felt the skin-to-skin contact of her thighs with his. She wondered why she felt that and looked down at herself and noticed something. She was completely naked. _What the hell?_, she thought. Then the past night's events came back to her and she blushed full-force. As she was remembering what had happened that night, Haku woke up. He stretched his arms and wrapped them around Chihiro's bare torso, making her give out a tiny squeak of embarrassment. She blushed even more. Haku saw this and smiled.

"Good morning," he purred. Chihiro froze. Haku noticed this and turned her over to face him. As Chihiro turned over, she gathered the covers to her chest, her silver ring flashing with her quick movements. Haku gazed into her beet-red face and chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head and catching her scent again. Immediately, he was filled with desire. However, he controlled himself; Chihiro didn't exactly seem to be ready yet. But within five minutes, Chihiro seemed to get over waking up bare as the day she was born, and Haku took her again.

They made their way down to breakfast, their needs fulfilled, and greeted everyone they met a smile. All the employees smiled back. They knew the reason behind their good moods; they couldn't help but hear their master and his madam last night.

After breakfast, Haku went to his office, needing to catch up on some paperwork, so Chihiro went off to find Lin. Haku now found it easier to let Chihiro out of his sight, since he knew that his ring would alert if she was in the slightest bit of danger.

"Lin!" said Chihiro as sha found her old friend.

"Hey, Sen," greeted Lin, tossing her cleaning rag back into the water bucket. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," said Chihiro, "Haku had to sign some papers, so I'm on my own for now."

"Really," said Lin. "I would've thought that he wouldn't let you on your own, _especially after last night_."

"_Lin!_" cried Chihiro, mortified. _How did she know?_ Lin could see this question written all over her friend's face.

"Everyone could hear you two," said Lin, answering the unasked question. Chihiro seemed to be blushing more today then she ever had as her face turned a shining red. _I didn't realize we were so loud! Oh Kami, this is sooo embarrassing!_ Lin saw her discomfort and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said. "You weren't any louder than anyone else." After Lin talked to her for a bit, Chihiro felt a little better. Wanting to take her mind off of…things, she pulled the stings on her pant legs and sleeves, and tied them when they were hiked up enough for her to move. They were the reason that she insisted Haku have all her clothes made like her old work clothes.

"What are you doing?" asked Lin, watching Chihiro.

"Helping you," said Chihiro as she climbed into the tub and grabbed a cloth.

"Sen, does Haku let you do this?"

"What Haku doesn't know won't hurt him. And beside, I have nothing better to do."

"I'm sure Haku could find _something_ for you to do," teased Lin.

"_Lin!_" cried Chihiro. But Lin knew that she was allowed to continue her kidding.

Haku, meanwhile was in his office. However, he wasn't really working on papers. He was trying to plan the punishment for Chihiro's parents. While it was true that it had been many months ago, and Chihiro was with him and thriving, the fact still remained that they had done something unforgivable. He sat at his desk, plans in front of him, drawing a blank. He needed Zeniba's help with this. Yes, he had some magical abilities, but they paled in comparison with hers. She would be the real driving force behind the assault. After staring into space, trying desperately to grab an idea from thin air, he gave up, resigning himself to ask Zeniba later. He left his office and walked down the stairs, searching for Chihiro. His instincts were taking over again and he really hoped that she was nearby.

Chihiro had gone around to all the rooms with Lin, cleaning the baths. They had just finished the big tub and were going to grab some food when Haku found them.

"Chihiro," he said. "I need to see you." Chihiro said good-bye to Lin and followed Haku to an unoccupied room. "Where have you been?" Haku asked.

"I was helping Lin clean out the baths," said Chihiro, knowing what his response would be.

"Why?" asked Haku.

"Because I had nothing better to do. And besides Haku, I'm strong enough to take care of myself. I think I can handle it." Haku looked at her face and caved. He just couldn't say no to that determined look. "You're right," he said.

Chihiro smiled at Haku's admit of defeat. "So, what did you want to see me for?"

"For this," said Haku. He grabbed her and kissed her passionately. He waited for Chihiro's agreement, which she showed by throwing her arms around his neck and returning the kiss. They stayed in the room for almost a quarter of an hour before emerging, happy and quite content, to go to dinner.

Chihiro soon learned to accept this behavior from her amorous spirit. As the spring progressed, he needed her more and more often. It also became usual that during the weekends, they barely left the room, or each other's embrace.


	26. Chapter 26

_Author's Note: Alright, let me explain some terms. **Haori** is an outer coat worn over a man's kimono. **Hakama **are loose ankle-length trousers worn over a man's kimono. The **obi** is a silk sash tied tight around a woman's waist; it can be up to **13 feet long**! **Zori **are thonged leather or rush sandals that usually have a wedge heel and are worn by women. **Geta** sandals are wooden sandals with two elevated slats on the bottom. And, no, Haku stealing money from Chihiro's parents wasn't his revenge. That would be lame. I'm just one for logic, and you need money to pay for things, but Haku didn't have any, so he stole it from Chihir'os parents (I do not advocate stealing, it is wrong and immoral I have to say that so people won't blame me for their own stupidity). Please read and review! Thanks!_

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**Chapter Twenty-Six: Explanations And Plans**

Spring passed slowly, and with it, Haku's needs faded. But only slightly. At night, their door could be door found locked against unwanted intruders as they slept, or rather, didn't sleep, the night away in each other's arms.

Chihiro expected that after the mating season was over, many of the yunas would be pregnant, but so far, no one reportedly was. Chihiro was secretly thankful for that; Haku had too many worries with the bathhouse to be troubled with little ones running around. However, the fact that no one _was_ pregnant confused Chihiro a bit. She didn't want to talk to Haku about it though; it was rather embarrassing. So instead, she hopped the train one day to see Zeniba when Haku was too busy with paperwork.

When she arrived, Zeniba welcomed her to her home, offering her tea and cake, which she accepted. After some small talk, mainly concerning Yubaba and her extended vacation (she was apparently touring the world, relaxing at every luxury resort she magick her way into), Chihiro brought up the topic she had come to discuss.

"Granny," she asked, sitting down her tea, "the mating season's almost over, yet not one of the yuna's is showing one sign of pregnancy. For all the grumbling and late nights, why aren't any of them bearing?"

"Well, Chihiro, there is a curse placed on the bathhouse. Do you ever wonder why Boh is the only child around? Or why he was such a big baby? It's because he was born almost one hundred years ago, but Yubaba only started treating him like a child after you left, which is why he looks like a regular six-year-old now. He was the last child born in the bathhouse. The day he was born, Yubaba thought he was very special and that everyone should adore him. She thought that he should have no competition, so she placed a curse on the bathhouse and all of the yunas who stepped into it. None shall bear child while employed here. Since then, many have tried to have children, but all in vain." She shook her head sadly. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," said Chihiro. She looked slightly crestfallen. Zeniba noticed.

"What's bothering you, Chihiro?" the old witch asked.

"Nothing," said Chihiro, taking a small bite of her cake. "It's just that that means I can't have children." She looked down and gave a depressed sigh. "I was really hoping that Haku and I would have a baby in a few years. I guess not." She sighed again. Zeniba put her hand under Chihiro's chin and lifted her head.

"You might yet," said the old witch wisely, a slight glitter in her eyes. "And besides," she continued, taking a sip of tea, "you're young. You have plenty of time to worry about a family later. Enjoy yourself, as I see you are; you've lost your innocence." Chihiro blushed fuchsia.

"H-how did you know?" she stuttered, awed at the magical abilities she could only imagine that went into discovering such a thing.

Zeniba shrugged. "You're walking different. And your hips are wider." Chihiro was speechless. Zeniba laughed. "Keep that information handy for when you have a daughter of your own. And I believe Haku would know how to handle a son."

"But you said the curse—"

"I did, but remember, every curse can be broken; it just takes the right kind of magic." Chihiro looked confused. Zeniba only smiled and said, "You will understand. Now, have you given any thought to your mating?"

"I haven't had very much time to think about it, or anything really. Not when I have an instinct-ruled river spirit on me every second of the day and night."

"Oh, I knew he had been resisting the season's temptations for many years, but I never knew just how much hold it had over him. Every night?" She looked at the small girl.

"Yep," said Chihiro, half smiling, have sighing exasperatedly. Zeniba looked at the small girl. Even though it had been many months since she had been ill, she had still not recovered her weight. Chihiro only weighed at most one hundred and five pounds and looked it. He legs were thin, though she knew there was muscle there; Chihiro loved to run about the bathhouse grounds whenever she could. Her arms were also small, but very strong since she had been helping to clean the tubs. Her stomach was absolutely tiny, though her hips had widened considerably within the last month, and that had nothing to do with weight. Zeniba had to wonder how her tiny body could endure Haku every night.

After they talked a bit more, Chihiro waved good-bye to Zeniba and No Face. She set off for the train, laden with many food parcels. She only made it halfway, however, as she saw her white and blue dragon overhead. She waved and he spotted her, landing in front of her. He nuzzled her face lovingly and threw back his head, inviting her to climb on. She did and they rose into the air, headed for home.

Back at the bathhouse, Chihiro had time to talk to Haku, as his needs had been fulfilled earlier. She brought up the mating.

"Haku, Granny asked me today if I had thought about our mating," she said, brushing her tangled hair. Haku looked up at her from folding their clothes (he had lost at rock-paper-scissors).

"And?"

"I was wondering, what happens during a mating?"

Haku finished with the clothes and put them away in the correct drawers. Then he sat back down on the futon and was joined by Chihiro. "Well, I know that in the human world, they have weddings. I've seen many; people think it's romantic to be married by the water, and I agree. Here, however, we have matings. Mating ceremonies can vary, depending on how big and extravagant you want it. But during your average ceremony, the bride, for lack of a better word, walks down an aisle escorted by a male member of her family, much like in human weddings. Her escort hands her over to the groom, also for lack of a better term. They hold hands and recite ancient magical vows which will bind their minds, bodies, and souls. They will be able to read the other's mind, feel the other's pain, and if they love each other very much, even reach the other's soul to stop them from dying prematurely. Then there is the exchange of mating rings, which go on the left finger, opposite the promise ring. There could be a spell of some sort on the rings. Then the couple walks back down the aisle, where the spectators throw flower petals onto them. In retrospect, it does greatly resemble a human wedding." Chihiro's eyes were sparkling.

"What about the attire?" asked Chihiro, sitting on her feet, hands resting on the futon between her legs, leaning forward intently. "What do we wear?"

"Well," said Haku, chuckling at her interest, "I will wear a traditional kimono with a dark colored haori and hakama; nothing too fancy. You, on the other hand, will have some things to choose for your dress. You will also wear a traditional white kimono. However, you may have some kind of intricately stitched design in it. You will have a white silk obi tied with a large bow. And your hair will be up, and you can place whatever ornament you like in it. Also, you may choose to wear zori, geta, or just tabi socks."

"And do we have anything like best man or maid of honor?"

"Yes, something like that. The maid of honor takes the bride to spend the night with her the night before the ceremony. She helps the bride prepare for the ceremony by helping her dress, applying her make-up, and fixing her hair. The best man also spends the night with the groom and talks to him, preparing him for the mating. This is when the couple can decide whether they wish to proceed or not."

"So how extravagant will our mating be?" asked Chihiro, purring in his ear.

"As big as you want it," said Haku, nuzzling her neck. There was no more talking that night, though both fell asleep, very happy, sometime later.

* * *

_Have you ever wondered why aliens have yet to make contact with us? Maybe it's because they can't seem to find any intelligent life on this planet. I'm watching **The Texas Chainsaw Massacre **and it amazes me at the stupidity of people. Get this; at the end of the movie, the girl runs away from Leatherface and finds, from my point of view, a perfectly working transfer truck. The driver **gets out of the truck** to help her, then they **both get back into the **truck **and out the other frikkin' side **to escape Leatherface. There was nothing wrong with the damn truck! And when the pick-up comes and gets the girl, the man who drove the transfer truck ran away from it! So what the hell happened to him? And why was Leatherface so damn slow?!? Sorry, just the rantings of a girl who would like things to make sense. Thanks for listening. Please review the story! _


	27. Chapter 27

_Author's Note: Okay, here it is, what you've all been waiting for! This chapter thoroughly exauhsted me. I should have another one up by tomight, if not, then tomorrow. This is the longest chapter I have ever written. Well, alright, I'm going to post this and het something to eat before I pass out. I haven't eaten all morning because I've neen writing this chapter, so I hope you all like it. Please review!_

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**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Mating Ceremony**

Haku and Chihiro had set the date for their mating, a little before the end of spring, and it was fast approaching. Chihiro had been rushed back and forth between Zeniba for fittings, Lin for rehearsal and proper etiquette, and merchants who had heard of the mating for choosing rings. She sought comfort and stability in Haku's arms at night. He was the only thing keeping her from breaking down totally.

Finally, the night before the ceremony came. Lin came to collect Chihiro and Haku left to stay the night with Kamajii.

Lin had Chihiro's hand in her own as she bounded down the hall, giddy with excitement. She led Chihiro out into the grounds and into the train. They didn't say a word; they weren't allowed. During the night before the mating, not a word could be said about the ceremony outside of the stated bride house, which was Zeniba's home. Finally, they arrived. Chihiro was glad too, traveling with a partner who is excited and has so much to say but is forbidden to say it is quite taxing. She was worn out by the time they stepped into the cozy house just from watching Lin suppress her words. When they were inside, however, Chihiro's spirit rose considerably.

"Let's eat first," said Zeniba, seeing Chihiro needed energy.

"Alright," smiled Chihiro. As the girls ate, Lin launched herself into a one-sided conversation about how exciting it was to have a mating.

"It's so exciting! Oh, Kami, I can't believe it! Our little Sen! Oh, I can't wait until tomorrow!" she yammered on, making fluttering hand movements and squealing occasionally. Zeniba and Chihiro simply looked at each other and smiled. Later that night, the girls stayed up and told stories about their past loves. After hearing a particularly amusing one from Zeniba about an ex-lover who wouldn't take no for an answer and finally had to into a donkey to show him what an ass he made of himself, Zeniba said it was time for bed. So they all turned in for the night. But in the darkness, Chihiro had time to herself to think, which she never had because of a certain river spirit.

As she lay in the darkness, between Lin and Zeniba, Chihiro thought about what it would be like when she was finally mated to Haku. He had said that they could feel each other's pain, and read the other's mind, which was the part that worried her. She had some thoughts that she would rather keep to herself. She yawned widely and snuggled into the covers, missing the feel of Haku, and let sleep come over, pushing all thoughts from her head.

Meanwhile, back at the bathhouse in the broiler room, Haku was talking to Kamajii. He had no idea about how many worries he had about becoming mated. It wasn't that he had reservations about being part of a couple; Kami knows he didn't have much of a single life, if any at all.

"What is bothering you?" asked Kamajii as they ate their dinner.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to be mated," said Haku, setting down his plate and resting his head on his hand.

"Well, this is the time to decide," said Kamajii. "Now, why do you think you're not ready?"

"It's just that I've been sensing some unrest and evil coming closer; I'm not sure what it is. And I don't know if I can protect Chihiro," said Haku, gazing at the floor.

"What evil do you sense?"

"I'm not sure. It seems like something big, with smaller underlings ahead of it. Its presence is ever-looming. But I don't know what it wants. It could be the bathhouse, me, Chihiro, or something else."

"Hmm…And why don't you think you can protect Sen?"

"I don't know. It just feels like I've lost my touch over the years. I don't have nearly the magical ability as Zeniba. What if I can't defeat this evil and the try to hurt Chihiro?"

"Haku, just relax. It's the nerves making you talk like this. Just wait until tomorrow afternoon when the ceremony is over. Then see how you feel."

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Haku, trying to smile. It was true; he was nervous, but that was only the half of it. He had been sensing this evil for about a month now, and everyday, it came closer. Of course, he knew that it was still a while away, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted Chihiro here when it did arrive.

They turned in for the night a little later. As Haku settled into his makeshift pallet, he crossed his arms over his chest, missing the feel of Chihiro. Eventually he fell into a light sleep, anxious for the morning to come.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Morning finally came, bright sun and all. Chihiro woke up and squinted. She rose from her position between Zeniba and Lin to close the curtains. Her light footsteps woke Zeniba. As the two made breakfast, Lin slept on, oblivious to the world. When the food was prepared, Chihiro went about waking her up.

"Lin…Lin…_Lin!_" she said, shaking the yuna. When she wouldn't wake, Chihiro started to poke her. All this got was a rather loud grunting snore. Chihiro had had enough. She took a few steps back and got a running start. She ran full force at Lin and pounced on her. The yuna gave a small yelp of surprise. When she became aware of where she was and what had happened, she picked up a pillow and threw it at Chihiro, hitting her square in the face. As Lin and Chihiro laughed, Zeniba called for them to eat.

After they had stuffed their faces, it was time to get ready. However, before they could get started, Chihiro had to go throw up. When she returned, Zeniba put a comforting arm around her and said, "Nerves, they get the better of everyone now and then." Chihiro smiled at her.

"Alright, guys, who should we get ready first?" asked Lin.

"Chihiro should be first, since she'll take the longest to get ready," said Zeniba.

And with that, the preparations began. Chihiro was pulled this way and that, first being bathed, then covered with some kind of sweet-smelling white powder. She was finally stood in the middle of the room to be dressed. As she stood there in her underwear, she felt a bit uncomfortable. Then Lin brought over her white under kimono and dressed her in it. As she tied it around Chihiro's waist, Zeniba brought out a kimono covered by fabric to keep it clean. After Lin had tied Chihiro's hair to keep it up, Zeniba lifted the fabric and exposed the kimono. It was absolutely beautiful. It was pure white, like snow, and the sleeves were long and billowy. As Zeniba and Lin lifted the kimono and Chihiro slipped it on, Chihiro looked at the sleeves. They were intricately stitched with stars that sparkled when she moved. She looked down at the body and saw that there was a dragon stitched across the entire kimono. It was breathtaking. Lin pulled the kimono around her and fitted it snugly as Zeniba brought the smooth, white silk obi around her waist and tied it tightly.

Then Lin brought her to a chair and helped her sit down, putting a cloth bib so as not to dirty her clothing. Lin picked up a jar of white powder and started to brush it lightly on Chihiro's face. She put down the jar and picked up a small brush. She dipped it in shimmering light purple powder, then dusted it lightly over Chihiro's lids, following it with charcoal to her under-lashes. Next, Lin painted a small amount of red gloss onto her lips. After that came a very fine dusting of light pink blush to accent the contours of her face.

Next came her hair. This took both Lin and Zeniba. As Lin brushed her mane, tangled from s night's sleep, Zeniba went about gathering hair ornaments. Lin finally stopped brushing and gathered her hair on top of her head, securing it with the hair bow that her friends had made. She took a section and braided it with a white ribbon, leaving it for later. She took some of the remaining hair and worked it into an elegant bun. Then she took the braid and wrapped it around the bun, leaving the rest to hang down beautifully to her waist. Zeniba then took over. She tied a large white bow under the bun at the back. Then she set a line of white flowers around the bun in the front. Finally, she tied small white flowers onto the bits of hair that hung in front of her ears.

"Now," said Zeniba, helping her up, "one more question; geta, zori, or tabi?"

"I think I'll go with the zori, they're much easier to walk in," said Chihiro, happy that her dressing was over.

"Zori it is," said Zeniba happily as Lin went to fetch the shoes. After Lin and Zeniba helped her into the tabi socks and zori sandals, they brought her to a mirror to inspect herself. She gasped; she was beautiful. She could've done a dance of excitement, if she weren't afraid of falling. "You look beautiful," said Zeniba fondly, patting her shoulder.

"Yeah, she does," said Lin, rubbing her back. "Now, we need to get ready; there's only an hour left." As Lin and Zeniba scurried about, deciding whose kimono was whose (shouldn't be that hard; Lin's tiny compared to Zeniba), Chihiro looked down at her silver promise ring and wondered silently what it would be like when he was mated.

Back at the boys', Boh had joined them and they were getting ready. Haku was already dressed in his traditional clothing and was trying to help Boh, who definitely had the brain of a child, into his kimono. He had finally gotten the kimono tied and hakama fastened when Kamajii reappeared, holding the haori.

"Got it," he panted, handing it to Haku.

"Where was it?" Haku asked as he slipped it over the large child's shoulders.

"One of those damn frogs took it, thinking it was his," said Kamajii, sitting down. "Don't know how he made that mistake, but there you go."

"Alright, Boh," said Haku, standing up, "now go brush your hair."

"Okay," said the child, bounding off. He had to admit, he had liked looking after the boy; it gave him some kind of sense of fulfillment. _Too bad about Yubaba's curse_, he thought. He pushed it aside; today was not the time to think about such things. Toaday was a happy day.

"So, do you still want to do this?" asked Kamajii, as was his place in the ceremony.

"Yes," said Haku, smiling. "All my reservations are gone. I know that Chihiro's place is by me, and mine by her." Kamajii smiled.

"That's good," said the old man, "because had you said no, Lin and I made a pact to destroy you if you broke Sen's heart." Haku gulped and smiled nervously. He was glad he had chosen right. It wasn't Kamajii and his six arms he was worried about; it was Lin's wrath that had him scared.

Back with the girls, Zeniba and Lin were dressed. Zeniba was wearing a kimono much like her usual blur dress, tied with a cream-colored obi and a line of pink flowers on her hair. Lin wore a purple kimono with lilac obi and flower in her braided hair. They were just about to leave.

"How are we going to get back to the bathhouse?" asked Chihiro, trying to master walking. "The train?"

"Heavens no, not the way we're dressed," said Zeniba. "And besides, Chihiro, you'd fall over. No, we're just going to use a little magic to transport ourselves." They walked outside and met with No Face. "Now, said Zeniba, "everybody stand in a circle and hold hands."

"Do we have to stand in a circle?" asked Lin.

"No," said Zeniba. "Stand in a square or a rectangle. Stand in a triangle for all I care, just hold hands." They did as they were told and Zeniba recited a mantra. The scenery around them blurred as they spun, yet not a breeze blew to misplace their clothing. They were gently picked up and flew across the sky. Chihiro looked down at the view beneath her feet and gasped. She had never flown without being supported by something. Zeniba looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry," she said. "We're all safe. We're actually in a magical box. It's just invisible and spinning very fast to keep us afloat." Chihiro smiled, relieved that there was actually something there.

They touched down five minutes later in front of the bathhouse. Zeniba led them all into a spare room where they would stay until it was time. No Face went off to find the men. Chihiro stood by the door, listening. It seemed that all the spirits were attending the ceremony. She managed to catch bits of conversations.

"…I wonder what the ceremony will look like?..."

"…I heard that Master Haku spent a lot of money on this ceremony…"

"…I'll bet it will be beautiful…"

"…I winder what Madam Sen will look like?..."

Chihiro went to sit down; she didn't feel very good at the moment. She felt like heaving up every bit of food she had ever eaten. But she kept it down, willing herself to think of something else, hoping her make-up would be okay.

Finally, at long last, it was time. Zeniba left first, as she was performing the ceremony. She put her hands on Chihiro's shoulders and blessed her before she left. That left Chihiro and Lin alone to wait. Kamajii came to collect them. Lin squeezed Chihiro's hand before she went outside to take her place. Kamajii offered her one of his arms, as he was the escort, and she took it. As they made their way outside, Kamajii whispered in her ear, "You look absolutely beautiful." Chihiro couldn't say anything, only smile nervously. They reached the door to the grounds and Kamajii opened it.

They stepped outside and began to walk toward the water, where Chihiro had said she wanted the ceremony. As they drew closer, Chihiro saw just how extravagant the ceremony was. All the spirits were seated on two sides in wooden benches lined with white streamers. The aisle between them led to a platform covered with a white canopy in front of the water. Kamajii and Chihiro walked forward and the platform became clearer. Standing in the center of the platform was Zeniba, blue kimono and all, spell book in hand. To her left was Lin, standing still, hand behind her back, waiting. And in front of Zeniba was Haku, wearing a dark blue haori and black hakama. His hair was down as usual, but it had been cut; it was now as short as it had been when they had met. He had been right; the 'groom's' outfit wasn't all that fancy. But he was very handsome.

Kamajii escorted her all the way to the platform. When they reached Haku, Kamajii took their hands and put them together, then went to stand by Haku's side, opposite Lin. Haku gazed at Chihiro and smiled.

Zeniba cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. When everyone was quiet, she began.

"We are here on this wonderful day to mate these two children together. They have shown their love for each other time and time again. And now, they will finally become one." She looked down at the two before her warmly. "I will read the mating vows from the book. You are to repeat them." She looked back at the book. "Haku, please repeat after me. 'I, Kohaku Nigihayami, do hereby take you as my mate.'"

Haku took a deep breath and looked Chihiro in the eyes. "I, Kohaku Nigihayami, do hereby take you as my mate."

"'I promise to protect, honor, cherish, and above all, love you, Chihiro Ogino.'"

"I promise to protect, honor, cherish, and above all, love you, Chihiro Ogino."

"Chihiro, please repeat what I say. "'I, Chihiro Ogino do hereby take you as my mate.'"

Chihiro tried to steady her breath and control her pounding heart. "I, Chihiro Ogino, do hereby take you as my mate."

"'I promise to honor and cherish you, to stand by your side, and above all, to love you, Kohaku Nigihayami.'"

"I promise to honor and cherish you, to stand by your side, and above all, to love you, Kohaku Nigihayami."

"Now," said Zeniba, "if we could have the rings."

Everyone turned around in their seats and watched as Boh scurried up the aisle, a small wooden box held in his hands. He finally made it to the platform. Panting, he opened the box revealing two rings. Chihiro gave a small gasp when she saw them The larger one, Haku's, was solid gold. The smaller one, hers', was also gold, but encrusted in the center was a small diamond with a smaller sapphire set on either side. It was beautiful. Haku lifted Chihiro's ring from the box and Chihiro did the same with his.

"They will now exchange rings. There has been a protection spell placed on the rings. Now, Kohaku, Chihiro, please place the rings on your mate's finger."

Chihiro placed Haku's ring lightly on his left ring finger. Haku took Chihiro's left hand in his and gently slid the small golden ring onto her ring finger. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Now, for the moment we've all been waiting for; Haku, kiss your mate!"

Haku smiled widely and leaned in. Chihiro met him halfway and they kissed. Pink and blue jets of light surrounded them as they kissed, enveloping them in a beautiful glow. As they continued to kiss, all the guests cheered. When they broke apart, Chihiro and Haku smiled at each other and turned to walk back down the aisle. As they walked, Lin, Kamajii, Boh, and Zeniba behind them, all the guests threw flower petals at them, covering them from head to foot.

Laughing, Haku and Chihiro held hands as they ran down the aisle. They looked at each other, both so happy, and thought the same thing.

_This is a perfect world._

* * *

_Oh, and by the way, if you're wanting to know what I imagine the characters to look like, I've just gotten my own livejournal, so I'll have some drawings I did myself up later, but not now. I'll try to figure out how to get link on my profile page on FanFic. Please check it out!_


	28. Chapter 28

_Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews! I loved that chapter myself. I hope this one is good, too. This chapter's really not much, just filler. But it does show that now they have another home and is setting the scene for something else. Please review!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Growing Accustomed**

As soon as the formalities of the ceremony were over, including the reception Chihiro had insisted on, Haku whisked her away to their honeymoon. Instead of flying on Haku's back, they decided to ride in a carriage pulled by large flying beast-things. Chihiro had no other words for them except fish-horses. They were magnificently beautiful, with shining opalescent scales that flashed pink, blue, purple, and green. They had long green tales and manes, and large, white eyes. As they flew in the carriage, Chihiro looked at Haku.

"Come on, Haku, tell me where we're going," she asked, giving him big puppy eyes. _That always gets him_, she thought.

_Think again, my little one._ Chihiro's eyes grew wide, surprised to hear another voice in her head. She looked up at Haku; he was smiling, a sparkle in his emerald eyes. _I told you, Chihiro, now that we're mated, we can easily read each other's minds. And while you are right, I usually do fall for your gorgeous eyes, not this time. I'm standing my ground._ Chihiro pouted slightly.

_Right_, she thought to him_, so if _you_ can read _my_ mind, then _I_ can read _yours

_Don't push it, little one. Yes, you can read my mind, but I have enough experience to block my thoughts. You will have to learn this. I think Zeniba will teach you. Until then, don't even bother trying to pry my mind for answers; I'm not telling._ Chihiro made a face and stuck out her tongue. Then she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

After an hour of traveling, they finally landed next to a river. Haku got out of the carriage and held out a hand to help Chihiro. When they were both out, Haku unhooked the carriage from the fish-horses and they slipped silently into the water, disappearing beneath the surface.

"Where are we?" asked Chihiro, looking around. This place seemed fairly familiar.

"This is my surprise, and my mating gift for you, Chihiro," said Haku. He walked over to the water and ran a hand through it. "Do you remember this place? From when you were a small child?" Chihiro stared, trying to remember. It came back to her as Haku spoke.

"This is your river?" she said, amazed.

Haku smiled and nodded. "I bought it back from the developers who turned it into an apartment complex, using extra profits from the bathhouse. I asked a local water spirit to fill it with water and replenish all the life in it. I even built a house on the banks." He gestured a little farther up the banks and Chihiro noticed a house. It was large and magnificent. It was made entirely of wood with two stories. It blended perfectly with the earthy and natural tone of its surroundings. "Chihiro Nigihayami, this is my gift to you; the peace and tranquility of a home away from home." Chihiro blinked for a moment, surprised to be called by her new name. She recovered and ran to Haku, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tight.

"Thank you, Haku," she said, choking back tears. He really was wonderful.

"Shall we go inside?" he asked, offering her his hand. She nodded and took it, smiling. They walked into the house together, golden rings blazing in the bright sun.

They stepped inside and Chihiro looked around.

"It's fully furnished," said Haku, closing the door. "Ready-to-live-in. But I'm afraid I just don't have much of a decorative flare. I hoped you would like to do that." Chihiro looked around at the living room; Haku was right, he wasn't much of an interior decorator. The furniture was bleak and the floor was bare. There was a fireplace, but it was completely empty, as was the mantle above it. Chihiro nodded.

"I'll get started on this tomorrow," she said, trying to figure out what color went with the beautiful wooden walls.

"But for tonight," said Haku, grabbing her tiny waist and kissing her. Chihiro smiled up at him, admiration in her eyes.

They ate dinner later that night, after discussing plans for the layout of their new home-away-from-home. As Haku cooked dumplings, fish, and rice, he couldn't help but overhear Chihiro's thoughts, making him blush. She didn't notice however, his back was to her. All she could see was the bow tying his blue apron. He stopped his stirring for a moment to concentrate on her thoughts.

_…can't wait until we get upstairs…they say that every girl remembers her wedding, err, mating night, and I intend to prove them right…I hope he has room for 'dessert'…_ Haku smiled to himself. He thought it might be time to remind Chihiro that her thoughts were not just her own anymore and to learn to control her wandering mind.

"Yes, I do believe I will," he said loudly, making her jump. He turned around and smiled when he saw that she had turned beet red. "You might want to mind your mind. Your stray thoughts might get you into trouble." He laughed and smiled at her seductively. Then he heard a voice in his head.

_What if I want to get into trouble?_ He looked at her and she smiled sexily.

"Hold off until after dinner, little one," he said aloud.

They hurried through dinner and made their way upstairs, although their clothes did not fare the journey. Haku led Chihiro into the bedroom, kissing her passionately. He wrapped his right hand in her almond tresses and latched his left around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He felt the warmth radiating off of her body, fueling his ardor. He crushed her tiny mouth with his, pulling her to the bed.

Haku woke up the next morning, a naked Chihiro still asleep in his arms. He smiled and lovingly traced her lips with his finger. The tickling sensation woke her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Haku whispered as she turned over. She gave him a sleepy, warm, sexy smile and stretched her arms above her head. Haku tickled her stomach to get her to wake fully. She arched her back against the gentle tickle barrage, playfully slapping his hand away. She turned to him and was just about to kiss him, when her stomach suddenly turned. Haku looked at her; her face was green. Her current thoughts flitted through his mind.

_Gonna…be sick!_

And with that, she got up and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Haku stayed on the bed for a moment before finding himself again. He opened his mind block that prevented him from feeling Chihiro's pain. He was suddenly hit with overwhelming nausea and the urge to vomit. He quickly closed the block before he did and ran to the bathroom after Chihiro. He found her bending over the toilet, being violently ill. He ran to her and held her hair from her face. He sat there on the floor until she was finished five minutes later. He wrapped a blue yukata around her and helped her to the bed. He laid her down and covered her with the blankets. Then he sat down and felt her forehead. His hand felt cool on her head.

"Do you feel alright?" he asked concernedly.

"Yes, Haku," said Chihiro, taking his hand in hers. "I feel fine. I guess I just ate something that didn't agree last night." She smiled. _Really_, she thought.

_Alright, my stubborn little one._ Haku bent down and kissed her on the forehead. _I'll go make us some dinner. I'll call you when it's ready. Then we can go play in my river. Rest for now._

He called her for breakfast twenty minutes later. She made it halfway down the stairs before she smelled something and her stomach turned again. She silently ran up the stairs again and into the bathroom, re-emerging a minute later. She made it down the stairs and into the dining room. She was greeted by Haku, who showed her to her seat and served her pancakes topped with butter and drowned in syrup, just how she liked them.

After breakfast, they changed into their swimsuits and walked to the river. Haku stepped into the water and nodded, signaling that the temperature was just right. He offered her his hand and she took it as he helped her in. She walked to waist height and stopped, growing acquainted with the water. Haku put his hand on the small of her back and led her into deeper water. When the water reached her shoulders, Chihiro pulled away from Haku and plunged under the water, splashing him. He watched as she swam gracefully under the water, twisting and turning, doing perfect pirouettes beneath the surface. She finally surfaced, shaking her wet hair out of her face. She turned to him and smiled happily, a few stray strands laying on her cheek. He waded to her, admiring the way her hair fanned out around her in the water, swirling in all directions. He was so caught up in her beauty, he let his mind slip.

_What I wouldn't do for these pesky garments to be gone._

A smile flashed across Chihiro's face. She dove underwater and reappeared in front of him. As she took his face in her hands, she whispered seductively, "That can be arranged." While he garbled for words, she kissed him passionately.


	29. Chapter 29

_Author's Note: Sorry guys, I tried to put this up last night, but there was too much 'traffic' on here. Okay, I guess you all know what's coming, but please read anyway. Please review! And Happy Valentine's Day!_**

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**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Back To The Doctor**

The following day, Haku was none too happy when he awoke to a crow tapping on their window. He carefully released Chihiro, still asleep, and got out of bed, grumbling. He crossed the bedroom quietly and opened the window. The crow stuck its head in, an envelope in its beak. Haku grabbed the envelope and rudely shut the window, almost knocking the crow off the ledge. He slowly walked back to the bed, opening the envelope. It was sealed with the bathhouse seal. He took out the letter and read it, scowling. He heard Chihiro stirring and looked up.

"What's that?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Letter from the bathhouse," he said shortly. He sat down on the bed and frowned. The annoyed look on his face made Chihiro giggle.

"Let me see," she said, grabbing for the letter. Haku handed it to her and she read it. The note inside was scrawled in Zeniba's tiny handwriting.

_Haku,_

_I hope that you and Chihiro are well and having a wonderful time. I hate to disturb you, but I really need to get the account books straightened out. However, I can't read a word Yubaba wrote. I hoped you would be able to write me a key or something, for I am at a lost to understand anything she has written in this book. Once again, I am sorry. I apologize for making you work on your honeymoon, and to show it, I am giving you a considerable amount of my money so that you can decorate your new home._

_Yours, Zeniba_

"She's given us a lot of money for furniture. That was nice of her," said Chihiro, re-reading the letter. Haku scowled again.

"It would've been nicer if she had just waited a few more days," he grumbled, opening the small folder of papers in Yubaba's chicken-scratch.

"I suppose I can go into the nearest town and purchase a few furnishes," said Chihiro, pulling on her robe. Haku sighed.

"I'll hook up the marine-equines for you," said Haku, pulling on his own robe.

An hour later, Chihiro arrived in the nearest spirit city. It was more like a small town, although it had many shops. Chihiro ambled about for a while before finally stopping into a shop selling furniture. There she bought a couch, two chairs, a queen bed, living room table, and other bedroom furniture. After that, she stopped at countless other stores, buying all the things she needed to make the house live-able.

She returned five hours later, to a rather distracted river spirit. Haku had finished decoding Yubaba's poor excuse for writing and had been waiting for her. When Chihiro opened the door to the house, she was greeted by Haku, standing in the doorway. When she had opened the door, he grabbed her by the waist, kissing her. He was so tall that when he held her to him, her stomach pressed against his groin. He sprang immediately to life, pulling her up the stairs. As she struggled for breath, Chihiro panted, "Haku, the furniture store said that they would send people to deliver our things within the hour."

"That's okay," said Haku, tugging off her top. "We have time."

The furniture was delivered to two fully dressed, very happy people later that day. Chihiro directed the movers where she wanted the furniture to go. Haku saw that she was becoming tired and helped the movers with a little magic. Truth be told, he had been practicing and had regained much of his old talent, lost by many years of needless servitude. When he had moved everything to its rightful place and the movers had left, Chihiro gave him an appreciated smile. Her beautiful face made him slightly amorous, but seeing her exhausted expression, he chilled his ardor; this was not the time.

He made her dinner and they ate, talking about the new décor. When they had finished eating, they sat in the living room, watching the fire crackle merrily. Haku looked at the mantle mounted above the hearth. It used to be bare, but Chihiro had placed five pictures on it; one of her on the farthest left, one of him on the furthest right, one of them both standing in the grass next to the bathhouse on the inner left, another of them in the bathhouse on the inner right, and finally, a picture of them on their mating day in the center. Haku smiled as he looked at it; his little one was turning him from a powerful dragon river spirit to a tame and domesticated businessman. He chuckled to himself and turned to Chihiro, but she was already asleep. He stroked her hair soothingly, pondering to himself. _I wonder why she's so tired?_ he thought. _I hope she's not sick. No, she's probably just tuckered out from all the 'fun' we've been having. Still…_

Chihiro awoke the next morning in their new bed, snuggled against Haku's chest. She closed her eyes and nestled her head back into the pillow, trying to go back to sleep. However, her stomach disagreed with her, telling her to get up. She listened to it, jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom. As the door slammed, Haku woke with a start. He got up and followed Chihiro into the bathroom. He found her, yet again, bent over the toilet, being sick. He held her almond hair back and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. When she was finished, he helped her back to the bed. He cleaned her up as best he could, giving her some tea to wash the taste from her mouth.

"What's wrong?" he asked, taking her hand.

"Nothing," said Chihiro, smiling. "I'm fine. I guess it's just something I ate."

"Huh-uh, you've already used that excuse," said Haku, giving her a serious stare. He reached his hand up and felt her forehead. "You feel hot," he said, rising from the bed. "I'll got you some clothes; you're going to see the human doctor. It feels like you're getting the flu again." He was too busy to hear Chihiro's protests.

An hour later, they arrived at the hospital. Haku insisted on carrying Chihiro there, but she put her foot down in the parking lot, and he lat her walk on her own, though he still kept his hand on the small of her back. They walked to the front desk and the receptionist looked up.

"May I help you?" she asked nicely.

"Yes," said Haku, stepping forward. "My ma—I mean, my wife, has been vomiting in the morning lately. She had the flu earlier this year, and I think it might be coming back." The receptionist nodded.

"Alright, have a seat over there and a doctor will see you soon," she said, smiling.

Chihiro and Haku didn't have to wait long; a doctor called them over five minutes later. Bowing to them, he introduced himself.

"I am Dr. Kimifuda," he said, smiling. Haku's protective instincts, which had flared at the stranger's approach, toned down slightly; he seemed friendly enough.

"Please step back here and we can figure out what the problem is," said Dr. Kimifuda, walking toward an examination room. Haku and Chihiro followed him. Inside the room, Haku helped Chihiro out of her clothes and into the paper gown, which he held closed as she sat on the table. Chihiro shivered slightly at the cold metal beneath her. Seeing this, Haku's heart bled. It was moments like this that he realized just how frail his little one was. He put his hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him warmly.

"So, Mrs," he looked down at his clipboard, "Nigihayami, you said you two are married?"

"Yes," said Chihiro, feeling Haku's hand tighten slightly on her shoulder.

"Aren't you two a little young?" asked the doctor.

"Probably," said Chihiro, ignoring her dragon's surprised look. "But we're positive about the way we feel." The doctor smiled.

"Alright," he said, glancing at his clipboard again, "you were complaining about vomiting and believe you may have the flu?" Chihiro nodded. "We'll that could be it, but I'd like to run some tests, just to make sure."

Forty-five minutes later, Dr. Kimifuda came back into the room. Haku was standing next to the bed, smoothing Chihiro's hair as she tried to rest. She had just been subjected to a battery of tests and was thoroughly tired. _She sure has been worn out lately,_ Haku thought to himself.

Dr. Kimifuda sat down and looked at Chihiro. She sat up, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Chihiro, when did you have your last menstruation?" asked the doctor.

"It's been a while," she said. "Probably four years." She was so thin, when she hit about ninety-five pounds, it just stopped. Even when she gained a bit of weight back, it never returned, so she just learned to live without it.

"Well, I have some good news for you," said Dr. Kimifuda. "Your feelings for each other thing aren't the only thing that's positive; congratulations, Chihiro, you're pregnant!"

Chihiro just sat there, staring unbelievably. Haku, however, had just enough time to register this news before he fell in a heap to the floor with a loud _thump_. He had fainted dead on his feet.

Chihiro couldn't think of a single thing to say except, "Aww, but I just bought new furniture."

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_Alright, she's pregnant. One person (probably more) figured it out last chapter. However, her reasoning wasn't quite right. The curse was that all employed here will not bare children, so even though she's away from the bathhouse, she still works there and shouldn't be able to concieve. Also, she's about two months along, and they've been at the river for less than a week. Thanks for reading! Next chapter up soon!_


	30. Chapter 30

_Author's Note: Alright, they're gonna have a baby. Yep. That's about it. Please review!_

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**Chapter Thirty: What Did You Say?!?**

After Haku had been revived with smelling salts, they left the hospital (although when asked where to send the bill to, Haku replied, "Send it to my in-laws," and he gave Chihiro's parents address; it was his little 'F U' for this visit). Haku carried Chihiro into the tunnel and back to their river house, not saying a word. When they finally got into the house, they dared to speak. Haku had just been looking around their cozy house, wondering if it was ready for children, when Chihiro spoke.

"So," she said nervously, "umm…what do you think?" Haku looked at her. She seemed nervous and excited at the same time. She let her mind wander and he heard her thoughts. _I wonder what he thinks. Is he happy? Does he even want a baby?_ Haku felt something tugging at his heat strings. He went to her and put a comforting arm around her, smiling. He sat down and pulled her into his lap, cradling her to his chest. He nuzzled her head.

"Of course I'm happy," he growled softly. "And yes, I want a baby. I've always dreamed of having children with you." Chihiro smiled up at him. But they both had one thing on their mind; how did this get past Yubaba's curse?

They finally went to bed an hour later. Chihiro stretched before getting into bed, her night shirt rising above her stomach. Haku looked at her small frame, and another worry crossed his mind. _She's too thin and small to carry a child. There's no way that there will be enough room in there._ He looked at her stomach and saw that she really did have a small belly growing. He couldn't help thinking about what she'd look in a few months, and a smile tugging at his lips. He let his mind take over and imagined her in nine months. She would be bending her back at an acute angle, trying to support her huge stomach, covered by a cute maternity tunic. Her face would have a radiant glow and she would be smiling from ear to ear. Chihiro must have noticed his glazed eyes and dopey look, because her voice suddenly entered his mind.

_Haku? Haku, are you alright?_

He snapped his attention back to her, shaking his head slightly. She looked at him quizzically, her chocolate eyes filled with concern. She cocked her head adorably to one side and stared at him. He laughed self-consciously, rubbing the back of his head. She looked at him a bit more before laughing with him. Haku pulled her onto the bed with him, cradling her gently. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, smiling to himself. They went to sleep shortly thereafter.

As Haku lay in their bed at three o'clock in the morning, gazing up at the ceiling. As he stared, many thoughts raced through his head. He had his beautiful mate, a thriving business, a house by the river, and all the money they would ever need.

_And now we're going to have a baby,_ he thought, closing his eyes and smiling to himself. He sighed deeply, thinking of how fast things were going. _Of course, it's a good thing we're starting young; that way we'll have more time to spend with our child. Children, if Chihiro can get through this one. And I'll have more time with her._ He turned over, that morbid thought going through his mind again. _She's human, so her average life expectancy is eighty, if she's lucky. One hundred if we can max it. There's no way around it; only the Kamis can do anything about it, and they only intervene in special cases. But I shouldn't be thinking about these things._ He snuggled against Chihiro's back, wrapping his arms around her. _Not with a little one on the way._ He cupped his hands around Chihiro's tiny belly. He knew it would be a while before his child moved, but it still felt good to have some kind of contact with the babe.

_I wonder what it'll be,_ he thought. _A son would be strong and a warrior, someone to pass the river onto and protect his mother. Then again, a girl could be just as strong, with a compassionate heart, able to sympathize with people, not to mention milk her father for all he's worth, just like her mother._ He chuckled silently. _I guess I don't really care which it is, as long as it's healthy._ And with that, he drifted to sleep.

They stayed at the river for another three days before returning to the chaos of the bathhouse. On the way back, they made a pact to not tell the whole bathhouse until they were positive that the baby would make it. After all, it had beat Yubaba's curse once, but they didn't know if returning to the bathhouse would cause harm or not.

They had just flown in through their bedroom window and had started unpacking when a knock on the door caught their attention. Haku squeezed Chihiro's hand before he let it go as she walked to the door. She opened it and Lin came bursting in, smiling from ear to ear and berating them at the same time for not telling her they had returned. She grabbed Chihiro around the waist and hugged her tight, cutting off her air supply and turning her blue. As Chihiro struggled for breath, Haku was next to her in a flash, prizing her away from the yuna's death-grip. He cradled her in his arms as she gasped, rushing fresh air to her lungs.

"Are you alright?" he asked urgently, kissing her hair.

"Yeah," she gasped, a hand lightly over her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Sen!" said Lin, putting her hands to her face in horror. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Chihiro, managing a smile. Lin looked at her suspiciously. Chihiro was very pale and scared-looking; not usual for someone who had only gotten a rather tight bear hug.

"Okay, Sen, what's _really _wrong?" she asked, giving her a piercing stare.

"I told you, I'm fine," she said, not all that convincing. Lin rounded to Haku.

"Okay, dragon, what did you do to her? If you put one wrong hand on her, you will pay." Haku paled and started to sweat. Lin got in his face. He could feel her burning rage. He stiffened and gulped.

"I-I didn't do anything," he stammered. _That's not entirely true,_ he thought, _but she doesn't have to know that._

Lin stared him down, analyzing his facial expressions. "You're lying, dragon," she snarled, her nose less than a quarter of an inch from his. As hilarious as it was to see Haku shrinking under Lin's scrutinizing gaze, Chihiro thought it might be time to save her mate.

"Lin, that's enough," she said wearily. She had suddenly become very tired. _Probably the fatigue,_ she thought, letting her thoughts slip. Haku caught them and moved instantly to her side. He took her hand in one of his, his other on her back, and he helped her to the couch. As he laid her down, she said to Lin. "Haku didn't do anything wrong. Lin, it's wonderful to see you again, but right now, I need to rest. I'll see you later." She smiled at her friend.

Haku looked at the yuna and tried to give her a smile. "Can you please send Zeniba in here?"

Ten minutes later, Zeniba was sitting in a chair, opposite the new couple. Chihiro was sitting up, leaning against Haku's shoulder, his arm draped around her. Haku was sitting straight up, absent-mindedly running his fingers through her hair.

"So, said Zeniba, sipping her tea, "what's this big news you absolutely must tell me?"

Chihiro looked up into Haku's glistening eyes. He squeezed her hand. Chihiro looked at Zeniba and drew a big breath. "Granny, we're going to have a baby."

The effect of these seven little words was astounding; Zeniba sprayed tea out of her mouth and onto the furniture, fell out of her chair with a resounding _thud_, and knocked her glasses askew. "W-what did you say?!?" she choked, picking herself up off the floor.

"We said 'we're going to have a baby,'" repeated Haku, smirking at the old woman's shock.

"Wow—are you serious—oh my," stammered Zeniba, straightening herself.

"Yes," said Haku, squeezing Chihiro's shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

"Zeniba, how did this happen?" asked Chihiro, turning her chocolate eyes to the old witch. "I thought you said that Yubaba cursed the bathhouse."

"She did," said Zeniba.

"Then how—?"

"Maybe," said Haku, "it didn't apply to you because we were at the river."

"No," said Chihiro, "I'm two months, so it was conceived here in the bathhouse."

"Oh," said Haku, trying to come up with an answer. "Well, the curse says that no one can have children while employed under Yubaba; now that's she's gone, maybe it's lost its affect."

"Then why haven't the yunas gotten pregnant? And besides, the curse is that 'none shall bare child while employed here.' It has nothing to do with Yubaba, only the building. And I work here, so I shouldn't be able to conceive at all." Haku looked slightly crestfallen. Chihiro smiled and kissed his lightly, taking his hand.

"Well, remember what I told you before Chihiro, every curse can be broken with the right magic," said Zeniba wisely.

"What magic?" asked Chihiro. "We didn't cast a spell."

Zeniba chuckled at the girl's naivety. "I didn't mean spells, dear. I meant love. Love is a magical force greater and more powerful than anything. Strong enough to overcome any evil, yet gentle enough to cradle a sleeping infant. The point is not _how_ it happened, but _that _it happened. Are you happy about having a baby?"

"Yes!" said Chihiro and Haku at the same time, not wanting to give the impression that they were disappointed.

"Then just rejoice in the fact that you will soon become parents."

"You're right," said Chihiro, smiling. Haku smiled, too, placing his hand lovingly on her small belly. Zeniba watched the charming display and smiled warmly. Haku looked so protective at that moment, ready and willing to defend his mate and unborn child, yet loving and gentle. Chihiro, in contrast, looked so frail and fragile, cradled in her dragon's arms. _Just like a happy little family_, thought Zeniba.

At that exact moment, the door gave way and four people fell through the frame and into the room. As Lin, Kamajii, Boh, and No Face groaned with pain and rubbed their aching heads, Haku got up and swiftly moved to stand in front of them. Hands on his hips, brows set in a stern manner, he spoke.

"What do you four think you're doing?"

"We, uh, we were, um…" said Lin, words failing her under the gaze of the dragon. She looked to Chihiro and remembered why they were eavesdropping. "I knew it!" she shouted happily. "I knew something was up. You're pregnant!" She rushed past Haku and ran to Chihiro, hugging her shoulders, making sure to avoid her stomach.

"Yes," said Chihiro, hugging her friend back. "We're going to have a baby." Lin held Chihiro at arm's length, examining her.

"But you're so small," she said, frowning. "Where will it have room the grow?"

"I suppose we'll just have to make room," said Haku, walking forward. Lin noticed him and let go of Chihiro. She ran to him and gave him a big bear hug, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Oh, and Haku's going to be a daddy!" she cried, Haku still in her vice-grip. Everyone laughed as Haku pried Lin off of him. She let him go, dropping him to floor. Kamajii helped him up.

"Congratulations," offered the old broiler man, extending one of his six hands. As Haku shook it, Kamajii added, "You had better take care of our Sen and the little one. Lin in particular will be most displeased if something should happen to them." He laughed as the color drained from the dragon's face. "Don't worry, Haku, I have faith in you." Haku simply smiled, images of Lin wailing on him running through his head.

Sometime later, after Zeniba had escorted all the chaos out the door, Haku and Chihiro were alone in the room. Haku took Chihiro's hand and helped her to the futon to lay down.

"I promise we'll get a real bed soon," he said, pulling the covers to her shoulders. "So you can get up and down easily. I'll order one tomorrow."

"Thank you," said Chihiro, reaching a hand from under the blankets and putting it to his cheek. Haku covered it with his own, _Her hand's so warm,_ he thought, _perfect for holding a baby._ He glanced at a clock on the wall and took note that he was already five minutes late for his meeting. Chihiro looked at him.

"Haku, don't you have a meeting with Zeniba?" she asked.

"Yes," said Haku. "And I'm already late."

"Then you better hurry," said Chihir, looking serious. Haku frowned a bit and looked at her stomach. He really did not want to leave. He placed his hand on her belly, feeling the small lump in it. But under Chihiro's gaze, he kissed her on the head, got up, and walked out of the room.

Haku ran down the hallway, trying to get to his office. He opened the door and stepped inside. Zeniba was sitting in a chair at the desk, humming to herself and knitting what looked to be a blanket.

"Now really," said Haku, walking to his desk and taking his seat. "She's only two months. Is that really necessary?"

Zeniba simply said, "You're late." She continued her knitting.

"I know," said Haku, taking out the account books. "I apologize, I didn't want—"

"To leave Chihiro?" finished Zeniba. She was looking at him, a gleam in her eye and warm smile on her large face. "Perfectly understandable. And yes, it is necessary. You will need a receiving blanket, cap, onsie, and some adorable booties. It takes a while to knit them, and I also intend to weave in as many protection spells as I possibly can."

"Do as you wish," sighed Haku, opening a book.

"Put that away, dear," said Zeniba, setting aside her knitting. "The accounts are fine; I only used them as an excuse to talk with you."

"And your real intentions?"

"Are you still planning revenge against Chihiro's parents?" Haku's hands tightened on the account books.

"Yes," he said quietly, baring his fangs. "They will pay for mistreating her."

"Then what actions do you plan to take, and when will you put them into affect?"

"I don't know," said Haku, claming down. "I haven't a clue about what I'm going to do. I do know, however, that I will do nothing until after the baby is born. I don't want to worry Chihiro."

"So there will be nothing for now?"

"No."

"Good," said Zeniba, picking up her knitting again. "Then I will check in with Chihiro again and retire to my room. Good night." And with that, she left. Haku sat a bit longer, lost in his thoughts. _Well,_ he thought_, revenge will have to wait. I'm a family-man now._

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_**Another quick pole: Which name do you like (with meaning); (for a boy): Tatsuya-dragon to be, Suoh-dragon, Ryu-dragon...(for a girl): Kaida-little dragon, Ryuu-dragon, Aiko-littlr loved one. Please tell me one boy and girl name you like, or any name you have yourself (preferably with a meaning). Thanks!**_


	31. Chapter 31

_Authir's Note: Just like the title says, wasting time. I had nothing else to write, so this was it. I know it's boring and really not interesting, but it's all I've got for now. Besides, I couldn't jumo from 2 months to 9 months. I promise, a better chapter will be up later. See ya! Please review!_

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**Chapter Thirty-One: Just Wasting Time**

Chihiro was now three months pregnant and still not very big. Haku was worried that she wouldn't be able to support the growing child, but Chihiro didn't seem too worried, so he tried to let it go. However, he still tried to force seconds on her at meals. Haku also wasn't happy about Chihiro walking about the bathhouse, but she refused to set around their room during the day, so he had to admit defeat. He had also ordered that bed he promised, and it sat comfortably in the middle of the room.

One day, when Chihiro had gotten bored, she came to see Haku in his office, As she sat in the chair he had had made especially for her, she began to debate with herself. _Should I talk to him about things, or is he too busy?_ As she was musing, she let her mind slip. Haku stopped writing his signature when her voice popped into his head. He smiled at her uncertainty and set his pen down.

"No, little one, I'm not too busy," he said, resting his head on his hand and turning to look at her. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm not sure, actually," said Chihiro, sighing. Then an idea came to her. "Why don't we make a list of all the things we'll need?"

"Okay," said Haku. He got out a piece of paper and picked his pen up again. "Go."

"Well, we'll need a crib," said Chihiro, gazing up at the ceiling, thinking. "And a dresser. Not to mention clothes."

"Zeniba has that covered," said Haku as he wrote. "She's probably at home right now, knitting an entire wardrobe."

Chihiro laughed. "That's nice of her, but I'd still like to buy some clothes. And with clothes comes blankets, bibs, and shoes. And we'll need a changing table. And diapers." Haku stopped writing.

"Diapers?" he croaked.

"Yes; why?" asked Chihiro, cocking her head to one side.

"I'm not changing them."

"Yes, you are."

"I don't know how to. And they smell." He shuddered at the memory of Boh's changing times.

"I'll teach you," said Chihiro, taking his hand and patting it warmly. "And you'll get used to the smell." Haku gave her a look that clearly said he was not at all convinced. "Alright, you might not, but it'll be over with in less than two minutes." Haku snorted, making Chihiro giggle.

"What else do we need," asked Haku, starting to write again.

"I want to decorate the baby's room, so we'll need to shop for that. And I absolutely demand a glider rocking chair."

"A glider rocking chair?" asked Haku, giving her a quirky look.

"Yes, it's a staple of motherhood. A place to relax and enjoy your little bundle of joy before it starts screaming."

"Fine, a glider. Anything else?"

"Yeah, since we live here and have a house by the river, we'll need to buy two of everything you just listed."

"WHAT?" said Haku, falling out of his chair. Chihiro laughed.

"Yep, two cribs, two tables, and two gliders," she said, getting up and helping him to his feet. "And I think that a bassinet would be good, too."

"Little one, you're determined to spend every coin I have, aren't you?" said Haku, smiling at him.

"Yep," said Chihiro, pecking him sweetly on the cheek.

Later that week, Chihiro had convinced Haku to take her to go see Zeniba and No Face. No Face was out in the garden, as usual. Haku and Chihiro were inside, sitting at the dining table with Zeniba, sipping tea.

"So," said the old witch, "How do you feel, dear?"

"I feel fine, Granny," said Chihiro, taking a bite of cake. "The morning sickness has subsided and I have more energy now."

"How long are you now?"

"Almost four months. Why?"

"In another month, the baby's gender can be determined. I can find it out by magic for you. Would you like for me to?"

Chihiro looked at Haku, sending him her thoughts. _Do you want to know?_

_Only if you do, little one. I really could care less, as long as it's healthy._

_Well, I want to know, but I'd rather be surprised._

_So we wait?_

_Yes._

_Alright._

They looked back at Zeniba, who was looking at the warmly.

"Thanks, Granny, but we'd rather wait until it's born." Zeniba smiled.

"That's fine, dear. Now, have you thought about names?"

"Well, not really," said Haku. "We've mainly been thinking about all the things we'll need."

"That's good, but you should probably start thinking about names, too. I suggest picking out two boy names and two girl names. That way, you'll have one for whatever gender it is, and a back-up in case the name doesn't fit."

"Alright, thanks, Granny."

"No problem, dear. Now, let me show you what I've made so far. I've got a blanket, and a hat, and some booties…."

Later that night, Chihiro and Haku were lying in bed, snuggling together. It took a lot of restraint for him, but Haku agreed with Chihiro that they should cool their desires, so as not to endanger the baby.

When Chihiro was comfortably tucked into Haku's side, she said, "Have you been thinking about names?" Haku looked down at her.

"A bit. What about you?"

"I've been going through some old spirit books and I've come up with a few."

"Let's hear them," said Haku, smiling.

"Alright, girls: Ai, Amarante, Emiko, and Tsukiko."

"Hmm…love, flower that never fades, blessed beautiful child, and moon child. Not bad. How about for boys?"

"Haruki, Yasuo, and Gin."

"Shining brightly, peaceful one, and silver. Those sound pretty good."

"What about you?"

"Well, for girls I have Aiko, little loved one, and Kaida, little dragon. Boys are Ryu and Suoh, dragon. What do you think?"

"Aww, they sound really cute. Which ones are your favorites?"

"I like Tsukiko, Aiko, and Kaida for a girl. And Yasuo and Ryu for boys."

"I like those, too. But what if it's twins?" asked Chihiro, giving him a playful smile.

"I would throw myself off the top of the bathhouse," he said without hesitation. Twins were a little more than he could manage at the moment.

"Don't worry; I doubt it's twins," said Chihiro, kissing him lightly. However, as she nuzzled her head into the hollow of his throat, she muttered, "But you never know."

Haku looked slightly panicky and gulped.


	32. Chapter 32

_Author's Note: Alright, this is basically filler. It just explains where Yubaba is and shows a cuter side of Haku. And to those who are hoping for triplets; that's an interesting angle, but no. Maybe later, or in another story. But I would like to do that. And by the way, the baby is...did you actually think I was gonna tell you? Sorry, you're just gonna have to wait. -_

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**Chapter Thirty-Two: Day To Day With A Bun In The Oven**

The days passed, turning into weeks and transforming into months. Chihiro was now at five and a half months and looked every bit of it. True, she was slightly smaller than most women at five months, but it was expected. Her weight, which was at one hundred and three pounds, had rocketed to one hundred and fifteen. It was the most weight she had put on since she had the flu.

While Haku was not very fond of the idea of Chihiro ambling around the bathhouse, he allowed it just to see the happy glow on her face. However, she always had to be with Lin, Kamajii, or himself. Chihiro had fast tired of her new 'boss's pregnant wife' stint, so Haku put her in charge of the accounts, a low-stress job that kept her busy.

He, on the other hand, had work mounting. He had every paper on his desk sorted into four categories; sign here, initial here, stamp there, and all of the above. His hand constantly cramped and it now sickened him to see his own name. There was one bright light, however; Chihiro always dropped by at the same time every day; lunch. She would knock on the door and lumber in carrying a tray of food (or, at least, she did; when Haku saw her carrying the tray, he berated the kitchens for allowing her to do so, and they provided her with a cart the next day). They would talk while they ate, and he was pleased to see that she could finish three plates, easy.

Today, Haku was sitting at his desk, performing the monotonous task of signing his name on every paper in sight when he heard the welcome knock at the door. He had forgotten the time. He jumped up and opened the doors. Standing in the hall was his lovely Chihiro, wearing one of his over shirts, as hers were too small. _We'll have to buy her some human maternity clothes,_ he thought, making a mental note. He grabbed the cart and wheeled it in, pulling Chihiro along with him.

They sat down and ate, talking about their day. Haku knew that he did the same thing every day, but Chihiro listened anyway, and he was grateful. Then came his worrying act.

"How do you feel, little one?" he asked, placing his hand on hers. She simply smiled.

"I'm fine, Haku, don't worry."

"Have you been walking around?"

"Yes," she said. "With Lin," she added, anticipating his next question.

"She didn't make you do anything, did she?"

"No, Haku, she knows you'll have her head if she told me throw her a rag. Relax; I'm being just as weak and helpless as you want me to be." He gave her a mock male chauvinistic smile.

"Good," he snorted. She laughed. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know. I thought I'd go down to see Kamajii or go outside with Boh. Don't give me that look," she added, seeing his disapproving face. "I'm not powerless; I can make it outside on my own."

"Yes, but not with Boh. He's only a child. How about you wait another thirty minutes, then I'll go outside with you."

She snorted. "Why does it feel like I'm six years old and you're the parent trying to make a deal with me?" The she smiled. "Alright, thirty minutes. But after that, I'm going on my own."

"Fine, I'll see you then," said Haku, getting up and seeing her slowly to the door. She kissed him and left, closing the door quietly.

When he was back at his desk, he felt it again. That little twinge from somewhere in his brain that told him something wasn't right. _The evil again,_ he thought. _It seems to be getting stronger. And I've been sensing it more lately. It's still a way off, but too close for my comfort, especially with a little one on the way._

He finished in thirty minutes and met Chihiro like he said he would. She had checked the mail and discovered a letter from Yubaba.

"What does the old crone say?" asked Haku, his hands supporting her as they walked.

"_Haku_," said Chihiro warningly.

"She made me forget my name and took control of me; it's the least I could call her.

"You have a point," agreed Chihiro, reading the letter. "She says, '_Chihiro and Haku,_

_I hope you're well and happy. Congratulations on your mating. I am still touring the human world, and have no intention of returning soon. This is too much fun. I had no idea what I was missing. Anyway, I hope you're taking care of the bathhouse. Tell Boh I love him._

_Yubaba.'_

"No intention of returning soon," repeated Haku, helping Chihiro sit down on a bench in the garden. _Maybe the old crone knew what was coming and decided to get the hell out of dodge. But why didn't she take Boh with her? Maybe I'm just over-thinking this a bit._

"Haku?" Chihiro's voice brought him back around. He shook himself mentally and turned his attention back to Chihiro.

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?"

"Oh, Kami, don't start that," she sighed.

"Start what?" he asked, feigning cluelessness.

"You're concerned father act," she said, smiling. "It was sweet the first, oh, _hundred _times you did it, but now it's just a tad annoying."

"Can I help it if I can't keep you in my sights every second of the day?" he asked, giving her puppy eyes.

"Oh, you exhaust me," she said, sighing dramatically. Haku laughed and hugged her close to him. He put his hand on her large stomach. Suddenly, he felt movement within. He looked at Chihiro's face, his eyes wide with surprise. She saw him and laughed. He looked absolutely adorable, just like an innocent child that had discovered something amazing.

"Did…did it just…move?" he asked, voice full of wonder. Chihiro giggled more.

"Yes," she said, placing her hand on his. "Yes, the baby just moved for the first time." Haku smiled. He lowered his head to her belly and pressed his lips to the fabric covering it.

"Hi, baby," he cooed softly. "How are you? Do you know who I am? I'm your Otou. Yes, I'm your father." He kissed her stomach lightly. Chihiro smiled. She knew that he would rather die than let anyone else see him expressing these feelings, but it was endearing to see him being so gentle.

They stayed in the garden a bit longer before going inside for dinner.


	33. Chapter 33

_Author's Note: Nothing really interesting, although I do express my opinion in here. Something will happen in the next chapter or two. Please review!_

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**Chapter Thirty-Three: Shopping!**

Haku took Chihiro out shopping the first chance he could. However, that was when she seven months pregnant. He had worked from six in the morning to ten at night every day to get through the mountains of paperwork. But now that Chihiro was due within two months, Haku had put a stop on all documents in order to spend more time with her.

Chihiro was growing bigger by the day. It now looked as though she was hiding a medium-sized beach ball under her clothes. She no longer lumbered anywhere, but full-out waddled. She now needed assistance getting out of bed. But she never lost her sunny disposition and radiant glow.

Haku woke early in the morning, got ready, and sent an order down to the kitchens. As he laid out some clothes for Chihiro, he heard her stir. He looked over at her and saw her trying to get up. He walked over to her and helped her to her feet. She gave him a small smile and put a frail hand under her large stomach.

"Thanks," she said. "I have to go to the bathroom." He nodded and helped her slowly to the bathroom. Once she was inside, he went back to her clothes. He had just laid out a larger tunic that Zeniba had made when she returned from the bathroom. He watched her as she crossed the room. Her immense stomach robbed her of all grace, but, to him, she was still beautiful. She walked to him and kissed him on the cheek, holding onto his arms to keep her balance.

"Good morning," she said, smiling brightly at him.

"Good morning to you, too," he said, returning the smile. "Sleep well?"

"Ugh," she moaned. "As well as I could, considering I'm carrying a football player." (FootballSoccer)

"Well, I have good news for you," said Haku, helping her into her clothes. Chihiro had abandoned her modesty the moment she discovered that she could no longer put her shoes on alone.

"The kitchens are making pancakes with almonds and blackberries?" she asked hopefully as Haku tied her pants for her.

"Yes," he laughed, patting her hand. "But that's not it. We're finally going shopping." Chihiro squealed and threw her arms around his neck.

"Yay!" She kissed him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to keep her upright.

They ate their breakfast quickly and bid the staff good-bye, leaving Zeniba in charge. Chihiro now absolutely refused to ride on Haku's back, so he hitched the marine-equines together and they rode to the tunnel in their carriage.

In the human world, Haku and Chihiro stopped at a local bank. Chihiro told Haku her parents' pin number and they withdrew a large amount of money, almost cleaning them out. But Haku didn't care; they owed it to her.

Their first stop was a clothing shop where Chihiro picked out some maternity clothes. They left the shop with two bags, which delighted Chihiro to no end when Haku insisted on carrying them, for they were a soft pink and yellow with 'Mommy-To-Be' written on the sides. She was still laughing at it when she returned wearing one of her new shirts. It was from Tutti-Bella and designed by Gwen Steffani, one of her favorite punk singers. The shirt was a raspberry T with 'Pregnant, Not Fat' written on the front.

Next came a baby furniture shop. They picked out two different cribs and other accessories that went along with them, including changing tables. They also picked out two gliders. When they reached the check-out register to pay and tell where to have their purchases delivered, the receptionist eyed their items and said, "Expecting twins?"

"Hope not," said Haku, getting out their money.

Then they went shopping for clothes. They had decided to keep the wardrobe mostly neutral: yellow, green, white, and black jumpers, creepers, and sleepers. However, they couldn't resist picking out some gender-based clothes. They went around the store and met back up again in the middle, showing what they had found.

Haku had picked up a blue crawler-and-pant outfit with a puppy on it, and a few frilly outfits for a girl, white, pink, and purple dresses and gowns. Chihiro had found some boy's overalls in blue and green and two girl's dresses in emerald green and pink. They bought them all and left the store.

Their final stop was a small market where they picked up all the small necessities. They loaded down a cart with bottles, blankets, pacifiers (the god-sends), baby powder, wipes, and Haku's worst nightmare; diapers. They paid for their things and left.

"We still have another hour until the furniture will get to my parents' house, what do you want to do?" asked Chihiro. (They had to tell the shop to deliver the furniture to the house, as they couldn't come into the spirit world. Haku had sent her parents out for the day by sending them an anonymous food ticket to an all-you-can-eat buffet)

"Why don't we get some food?" suggested Haku as they loaded their purchases into the carriage back in the spirit world.

"Alright."

Back in the human world, they sat outside of a small restaurant, eating happily. While Chihiro was wiser than most her age, she was still sixteen and looked every bit of it. As they ate, a group of middle-aged women walked by. They spotted Chihiro and immediately began whispering, pointing in her direction. Chihiro went pale as she caught part of their conversation.

"…Look at her, she's so young…"

"…Apparently not _that_ young, look at the size of her…"

"…In my day, any teenage girl who went and got herself pregnant was cast aside, just as they should be…"

"…She must be a trollop…"

"…You're right, I know _my_ daughter would never _think_ about getting herself knocked up. She knows I'll throw her out…"

"…You know how irresponsible _those _people are. She'll probably leave her child somewhere to go out and party. They just don't know how to take care of themselves…"

"…We'd better move along, she might be one of those strung-out druggies. For all we know, that bastard child might belong to her dealer…" (A/N: These kind of people annoy the hell out of me. Most teen moms are responsible and make good decisions for their children. If you think like the people above, I hope you burn in the innermost bowls of hell)

Chihiro's face burned with shame. She simply lowered her head closed to her food, letting her bangs hide her eyes. Haku also caught the women's conversation, and it made his insides burn. _How dare they_, he thought. _I would attack them if Chihiro—_ He brought his attention back to Chihiro when he heard her sniffle.

"Little one, what's wrong?" he asked concernedly, all thoughts of malice gone. She didn't look up, but he saw a tear slide down her cheek. He gently lifted her head with his hand and gazed into her watery eyes as more tears slipped down her face. "Chihiro, tell me."

"I-I guess I never th-thought about it th-this way," she sobbed and hiccupped, "but I'm ju-just another statistic."

"Statistic?" asked Haku, wiping away her tears with his thumb.

"In the human world, it's frowned upon to become pregnant before you're of age. However, there're still a percent of girls who get pregnant anyway, and they become a statistic. I suppose I'm one now," she finished, giving a small smile.

"No," said Haku, his blazing emerald eyes burning into hers. "You are not just another statistic. You are Chihiro Nigihayami, the most responsible person I know. This did not happen by accident, it was fate. It was meant to happen. Do not be ashamed, this is not a bad thing. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Chihiro, giving him a genuine smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, little one," said Haku, ruffling her hair and smiling. "Now, we need to pick up the furniture. Are you ready?"

"Yep."

They returned to the bathhouse an hour later and Haku carried in all of the furniture that would stay at the bathhouse. They sent the marine-equines back to the river where they would leave the rest of their stuff in the house. Tomorrow's task was to decorate the baby's room, next door.

Chihiro woke up first the next morning. She managed to huff herself out of bed and to the bathroom. She returned and dressed her self in some of her new clothes. She donned a pink and blue peasant-top and white stretch-pants. She then sent her order to the kitchens and shook Haku awake.

"Wassamattar?" he groaned stupidly, turning over. He opened one bleary eye and stared at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Chihiro, smoothing his hair. "Just hungry."

"Have you called down to the kitchens?" he yawned as he turned over and stretched. He raised his arms above his head and arched his back, working out the stiffness sleep had caused.

"Yes," said Chihiro, getting an idea. As Haku had his arms above his head and his eyes closed, Chihiro wiggled her fingers, drawing them closer to him. Then she tickled his stomach, sending him into a fit of laughter that had him flailing. She attacked him for another minute before he surrendered.

"I-I give!" he panted. "I give!" Chihiro crossed her arms, satisfied. She gave him a wicked smile.

"Hurry and get dressed," she said, throwing some clothes at him. "I'm hungry and we need to decorate they baby's room." Haku mocked a grumble and put his clothes on.

They ate quickly and went to see about the room. They had decided earlier about the color; green with white trim. Haku had had the room painted earlier, so that was done. All they needed now was to assemble the furniture, put up curtains, and decorate the way they wanted.

"What first?" asked Haku, staring at the many boxes before them.

"How about the crib?" suggested Chihiro.

"Alright," said Haku, pulling forward the box with the wooden crib in it. He opened it and pulled out all of the pieces. Looking at it, he sighed, "This will take a while." Chihiro simply smiled cheerily and patted him on the back.

After half an hour, Haku conceded and let Chihiro help. She had it put together in fifteen minutes, unhindered by her immense belly. She did such a fine job, it put Haku to shame. _At least my little one keeps me humble_, he thought, admiring her handiwork.

The changing table came next, and little accessories followed. They were finished constructing within three hours. However, Haku refused to let Chihiro move the furniture around, so he did as Chihiro directed him. When the room was arranged, Chihiro walked around and put the finishing touches on it. She placed a few teddy bears on a shelf and nightstand, some toys in the toy chest, a doll on another shelf, just in case, and her stuffed dragon in the crib. She made Haku finish it by giving him the packages of diapers to put on the changing table. They stood back and looked at their hard work.

"It's beautiful," said Chihiro, leaning on Haku.

"Yep," agreed Haku, holding her to him. "Not too bad for first-timers, is it?"

"Nope."

As they lay in bed that night, Haku kissed Chihiro, then lifted her pajamas, exposing her large belly. He gazed at it lovingly. Her skin was beautifully pale and she had no stretch marks, only smooth, creamy flesh. He imagined what was inside, and it blew him away that less than an inch of skin and muscle separated him from his child. It was unfathomable. He lowered his head to her considerable lower abdomen. He knew that his baby's head was there, as Chihiro had shown him pictures from the human world. It was upside down, legs and arms crossed. He felt sorry for it, there was barely enough room to move in there. Haku pressed his mouth to her stomach and spoke softly.

"Hi, baby," he murmured. "How are you doing? Are you ready to come out yet? I hope not, you're still too young." _I'll probably be saying that more than I'd like_, he thought to himself. "Do you know me? I'm your daddy," he cooed. The response was a small movement, probably its arms attempting to wave. Haku looked up at Chihiro. "It…heard me."

Chihiro smiled. "Mm-hmm," she said. "It can hear you now. It probably recognizes your voice by now, so it moved when you spoke." Haku smiled and kissed her belly.

As he returned to the head of the bed, he said "I'm tired of calling the baby 'it.' What do you think it is?"

"I don't know," said Chihiro, thinking. "Maybe a boy…but it could be a girl, too. What do you think?"

"I was thinking a girl, but then again, it could be a boy," said Haku, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess we're still in the dark."

"I suppose we'll just have to wait for the next two months," said Chihiro. "But I'm pretty sure it's not twins." She sighed as she snuggled into his chest, curling up as best she could. She pressed her belly to Haku's, and he could feel every small movement the baby made.

"Good," said Haku, drifting to sleep.


	34. Chapter 34

_Author's Note: Almost there! Just a bit longer, and you'll find out! Please review!_

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**Chapter Thirty-Four: Making Decisions**

Two weeks passed, and Chihiro was barely into her eighth month. She had put on even more weight, averaging at around one hundred and twenty-five pounds. Haku pitied her; he looked at her from the side and saw that her spine curved uncomfortably. She was forced to bend her back to support her huge belly. But she was still gorgeous.

Haku had promised not to do anything with her, but he couldn't help noticing her breasts (cut him a break, he is male, after all). They were bigger, fuller, and rounder then before. But he also noticed that Chihiro grimaced painfully when anything brushed against them, so he decided not to touch.

Chihiro was also subject to backaches, shortness of breath, and her fatigue was back with a vengeance. Haku had basically confined her to their room so she wouldn't wear herself out. However, he did let her make very rare visits to Zeniba, though he preferred to have the old witch come to them.

This was one of the days that Haku summoned Zeniba to see Chihiro. He went down to the kitchens to get some tea, leaving the two women alone in their room.

"Granny, have you seen the baby's room?" asked Chihiro, trying to accommodate her huge stomach on the floor.

"Yes, dear," said Zeniba, getting up to aid the heavily pregnant girl. "Let me help you, Chihiro." She led Chihiro over to the glider that Haku had brought into the room earlier. When Chihiro had sat down, and propped her feet up, she sighed.

"Thanks, Granny," she said. "It's getting down to the wire now, and the baby's taking up more and more space."

Haku came back, carrying a tea tray. He poured Zeniba and himself some, and gave Chihiro the water she had asked for.

"I'm sure the baby misses being able to swim around just as much as you do," he said, handing her the water. She gave him a smile.

"I'll just be glad when this is over with," said Chihir, laying a hand on the belly. "It's been fun being pregnant, but I'm ready to see the baby."

"Which brings me to my point," said Zeniba, setting down her cup. "I've been meaning to ask you, who do you want to deliver your baby?" Haku and Chihiro looked at each other.

"What do you think?" asked Chihiro.

"This is all you," answered Haku. "Your decision, not mine." Chihiro gave him a look. Then she smiled.

"Granny, could you?"

"Of course," grinned Zeniba. "After all, I delivered Boh."

"You did?" asked Chihiro and Haku at the same time.

"Yes, and it wasn't easy. As you know, he was a, ah, _large_ baby." They all snickered. "One more thing, where do you want to deliver?"

Once again, Chihiro turned to Haku. "Want to help me with this one?" Haku blushed and hung his head slightly.

"Actually, uhh, I was thinking that you could, umm…deliver in my river?" he stammered quietly. Chihiro smiled lovingly at him. She knew it embarrassed him to no end to admit this in front of Zeniba. However, the old witch just smiled warmly at him.

"Okay Haku," said Chihiro, drawing him into her arms from the glider and and hugging him. She kissed the top of his head. "I'll have the baby in your river." He beamed at her. Zeniba hated to interrupted the happy moment, but felt the need to ask.

"Do you have everything you need? Crib, clothes, and diapers?" Haku shuddered at the last item.

"Yes, Granny," said Chihiro, giggling at Haku, "we have everything we need."

"Alright," said Zeniba, satisfied.

Two day slater, the yunas threw Chihiro a surprise baby shower. They played games and ate a cake that Lin had made herself. After much laughing, Chihiro finally opened her presents. She had been given more clothes, dresses and sleepers, and the entire bathhouse had chipped in and bought them a session with a photographer for a pregnancy shoot.

Chihiro and Haku went the next day to the spirit photographer for their shoot. They walked in and the owner immediately saw to them. They needed no introduction.

"Ah, Master Kohaku Nigihayami," said the short lizard spirit oily, tweaking his mustache. "And Madam Chihiro. I've been expecting you. Please change into the clothes I have prepared and we'll get to it." They did as told. When Chihiro came out of the dressing room, she caught sight of Haku and laughed. He was in a pair of green, puffy hakama with no shirt. He looked rather uncomfortable. Chihiro, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with her clothing. She was also wearing pants, though hers were long, pink, and flowing. Her top was really just a pink cloth tied around her chest.

They went into the studio and the lizard spirit positioned them for the first shot. "Alright, Master Kohaku, stand behind Madame Chihiro and place your hands on her belly." Haku followed the orders and the spirit snapped the shot. This continued for almost an hour, until the lizard spirit went to develop the photos. He returned within thirty minutes and handed them their pictures. Chihiro and Haku looked at them, then went on their way.

Later that night, Haku and Chihiro were debating when to head to their river house. Everything down there was prepared, as they had gone earlier and readied the rooms.

"Well," said Haku, "it is ready. And it might not hurt to get down there early, just in case."

"You're right," said Chihiro, momentarily grimacing as the baby kicked. It was clearly visible through her pajamas. "We should probably get down there soon. But what about the bathhouse. We can't leave Zeniba in charge; she'll be with us."

"We could leave Lin in charge; she's responsible enough," contemplated Haku. "I don't think she'll have a problem running it for the next month or so."

"Alright, that's settled. Now, when do we leave?"

"How about tomorrow after breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me," smiled Chihiro. "It'll be nice to get away from all the noise and escape to the tranquility. We'll start packing tomorrow."

"Okay," said Haku, reaching over to her. "Good night, little one." He kissed her on the head.

They woke up in the morning, dressed, and began to pack. They were ready to go by lunch.

"Bye, Lin!" said Chihiro, waving to her friend as the carriage took off.

"I'll see you later, Sen!" called Lin from the bathhouse grounds, next to Kamajii and Boh. "We'll come see you after the baby is born!"

"Alright!" Chihiro called back. She turned around and held the stuffed dragon closer to her chest.

They arrived at the river about three hours later, and Chihiro rushed into the house with more speed than Haku had seen in the last six months. He was talking to her, and the second he had unlocked the door, he saw a blur race in front of him and up the stairs, blowing his hair. _VVVOOOOooommm!!!_ He was still standing in the door. He laughed and stepped inside, taking in the living room.

They had ordered more things for their private home. The living room, which was a homey aqua, was strewn with baby furnishings. There was a play pen in the corner, a swing next to the couch, a bouncer under the table, and a highchair by the door to the kitchen. He smiled to himself. _I am becoming so domesticated. Even my house. My house doesn't scream 'Powerful Spirit Resides Here.' It screams 'Familial Daddy Lives Here.' What I must look like to all the other spirits. Oh well…._ He jerked his head to the stairs as he heard his mate approach. She looked down at him from over the banister and smiled.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yep," she said as she waddled down the stairs.

Haku carried in all their luggage and Chihiro went about putting all the clothes away in the baby's room. When they were finished, they sat down on the couch and relaxed.

They stayed there alone for another week before they sent for Zeniba. She arrived and took to the guest room, where she stayed to give the couple their last few days alone. Haku had been just about right; Zeniba had almost knitted an entire wardrobe.

As she knitted yet another cap, she thought to herself, _Let them have a bit more time together, before a child lies between them._


	35. Chapter 35

_Author's Note: It's finally here! Read on and you'll find out what they have! Please review!_**

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**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: It's Coming!**

It was the dead of night and Haku was sleeping peacefully, when suddenly, he was shaken roughly awake. He tried to shrug it off and go back to sleep, but a painful moan made him sit straight up, all dreariness gone.

"Chihiro, are you okay?" he asked, looking at his mate.

"No," she gasped. Her pale hands clutched at her stomach, and her face was contorted with pain.

"What's wrong?" he asked hurriedly, grabbing her hands and holding them.

"I think I'm going…into labor," she grunted in between contractions.

"How long?"

"For five hours now. It just got worse a few minutes ago," she said, as the pain passed.

"Do you want me to get Zeniba?" he asked, holding her shoulders gently.

"Yes," she said, contractions seizing her again. Haku kissed her gently on the forehead and tore from the room. He ran down the hallway, tripping on his own feet twice, before finally reaching Zeniba's room. He pounded on the door, making enough racket to wake the dead.

"Zeniba!" he screeched. "Zeniba, open this damned door! ZENIBA!" He slammed his fists against the door.

"What in the world is it, Haku?" asked Zeniba as she opened the door in her gown and curlers.

"Chihiro," he gasped. "Chihiro…thinks she's…in labor!" he panted.

Zeniba smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Go back to her. Let me get dressed and I'll be in there soon." Haku nodded and ran back to Chihiro.

Chihiro was sitting up in the bed, scrunched up as much as possible, trying desperately to make the pain stop. A thought occurred to her. _That's what I forgot_, she thought desperately. _The pain medication!_

Just then, Haku came bursting back into the room. "Zeniba's coming soon," he said, smoothing her hair. She only moaned, pain taking her ability to speak.

Zeniba appeared two minutes later. She simply told Chihiro to lie down and relax. The old witch bent the girl's legs and parted them beneath the cover. After she had checked her, Zeniba looked at Chihiro and smiled.

"You should be a mother before the morning is over. We'll move you to the river when the sun is up. Right now, you're about seven centimeters dilated, so I'd give you about four hours at most." Chihiro only groaned.

Three hours later, Haku and Zeniba helped Chihiro outside and into the river. She was wearing only a large tunic, so as to save some of her modesty. They sat her in the river, her back resting against the bank. Haku got behind her and took her hands. Another contraction took her and Chihiro held his hands in a death-grip.

Haku had so far been able to deflect the mating effects, but Chihiro's pain eventually became more than he could block. Horrible aches gripped his lower abdomen and he allowed himself a moment of vulnerability. Then he used his magic to block it. As he looked down at Chihiro's face, twisted with pain, he wished he could do the same for her, but his magic would not permit it.

Chihiro gripped Haku's hands like they were her lifeline. She tried to concentrate on the water. It gently lapped around her, and she imagined it taking her pain away with every small wave. As she meditated, it seemed to dull slightly, and she concentrated on Haku's breathing behind her. She relaxed a bit and rested her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

Zeniba waded into the water and knelt at her feet. "I'm going to check you, dear," she said. Chihiro nodded slightly. She felt Zeniba checking her. When she was done, the old witch stood up and smiled cheerily. "It shouldn't be too much longer, Chihiro. You're at ten centimeters, and the head has already crowned; there's a head full of hair. I'd give you another half hour, tops," she said happily. Chihiro nodded, relieved. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

Within fifteen minutes, Chihiro was panting with effort, sweat rolling off her brow. Zeniba was between her legs, trying to guide the child's head through the birth canal.

"Chihiro, take a big breath," said Zeniba. Chihiro filled her lungs and closed her eyes. "Now, push!" Chihiro bared down, rising from Haku's chest. She pushed down as herd as she could, her face turning purple. "Alright, hold it," said Zeniba. She tried to work the baby's head, but couldn't. "Again." Chihiro repeated the process.

Haku watched his mate struggle, grunting in pain. He looked over her shoulder and saw what was happening. It made _him_ hurt. He was suddenly very glad that he was a male. _Being a woman blows,_ he thought. Chihiro grunted again, straining to push. She stopped, took another breath, and began again. "More," coaxed Zeniba. Chihiro bared down as hard as she could, baring her teeth. She squeezed Haku's hands as hard as she could. The pain became too much and she screamed. Haku flinched but remained still.

"Just a bit more," said Zeniba, managing to work her hands around the infant's head. Chihiro gave one final push and the child slid out. Zeniba dunked it under the water for a moment and placed it on Chihiro's chest. She then gave scissors to Haku and held out the umbilical cord, which he cut.

As he gazed down at his new child, he asked, "Well, what is it?" Zeniba looked up from the afterbirth and smiled.

"It's a girl," she said happily.


	36. Chapter 36

_Author's Note: Thenk you for all of the reviews! I really appreciate it! You guys are the greatest! Alright, they've had a little girl (so cute!), and in this chapter, they'll name her. For all of you who were hoping for a boy or multiples; Sorry! I thought it would be cute to see Haku interact with a little girl, try to assume the protective daddy status. But I just might make the have more kids, but that will be in another story, kind of like a trilogy--sort of. Yes, there is evilness, and it will come later, so hang on, and Haku will eventually get around to revenge on Chihiro's parents, but it will be a while. This chapter isn't much, but it is cute and explains a little. So, here you go, enjoy! By the way, cue the Tim McGraw music!_

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Welcome Baby Kaida!**

_Gotta hold on easy as I let you go. _

_Gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know. _

_I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm. _

_You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born._

Haku sat on the couch a few hours later, gazing into the face of his new daughter. She was a tiny, chubby baby. She had her mother's eye shape, but her father's eye color. Her hair , the little bit that stuck out beneath her cap,was mixture of light and dark brown with green highlights. Her skin was red and blotchy, but he could tell that it was beautifully pale just like her mother. He stared down at her, wrapped in a soft pink blanket. Her eyes were open and she was looking around, taking in her new surroundings. One of her tiny hands escaped the confines of the blanket and she waved it around slowly. Haku caught it and she gripped his index finger. Haku was in love instantly.

_Beautiful baby from the outside in. _

_Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again. _

_Go on, take on this whole world. _

_But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl._

Chihiro stood at the top of the stairs, watching father and daughter. As much as she wanted to rush over and cradle her baby, she didn't. She had been holding her baby for the past eight and a half months, but this was the first time that Haku had had any contact with the infant. So she watched them over the banister, head resting in her hand, eyes alight with happiness. She waited another five minutes until her breasts became painful and went to her baby.

Haku tore his attention away from the mewing baby cradled in his arms as his mate walked over. She kissed him on the cheek lightly and held out her arms. Haku carefully handed over the baby and Chihiro sat down beside him. She opened her yukata and brought the infant to her breast. She latched onto a nipple and began to nurse. Haku draped his arm around Chihiro and smiled. She returned the smile, even as the baby nursed painfully. Haku kissed her temple lightly.

"Do you feel okay?" he whispered.

"Mm-hmm," sighed Chihiro. She didn't realize until just now how tired she was. "It just feels like I've been hit by a train." She smiled exhaustedly. She could feel that the baby was finished with one breast, so she moved her to the other. Haku gazed down at his daughter as she suckled contently. He brushed a small lock of fine hair from her face with one finger.

"How much did she weigh?" he asked.

"Six pounds, seven ounces," replied Chihiro, cupping her daughter's head with one hand, supporting her body with the other. "And twenty inches long. Not too bad for being about three weeks early." The baby finished feeding and mewed quietly. Chihiro set her gently in her lap and closed her yukata. Then she picked her daughter up again and draped her over shoulder. She patted her infant's tiny diaper-clad bottom gently, forcing the air out of her stomach. She eventually heard the soft _uurp_ signaling that she had burped and cradled her to her chest. The baby drooled slightly and hiccupped. Haku smiled.

"You're tired," he said. "I'll take her. You go upstairs and rest." Chihiro looked down at her baby and didn't want to leave. But when she looked into Haku's eyes, she saw how much he wanted to spend time with her. Chihiro relented and handed over her bundle. As she made her way to the stairs, she turned and said,

"We're naming her tonight. I don't want to keep calling her 'the baby.'" Haku nodded.

When he heard Chihiro get into bed upstairs, he settled back to watching his tiny daughter. _She's beautiful_, he thought, his lips curling into a fatherly smile. _Absolutely perfect._ She had her father's nose and mother's mouth. _Maybe being daddy won't be so bad after all._ His daughter seemed to read his mind, for she waved her arms and cooed happily. Fatherly pride swelled in his chest and he tickled his little girl under her chin.

Suddenly, he heard Zeniba come down the stairs. Once again, he was forced to tear his eyes away from his precious daughter. He looked up as the old witch came into the room and sat in the chair opposite him. She stared warmly at the sight. Haku cradling his daughter possessively to his chest.

"Well, I see we need not be worried about future suitors coming to call," she said, laughing as Haku's eyes grew wide. "Don't worry, dragon, I'm not here to part you from your baby. I just need to make sure she's alright." She looked down at the infant. "She seems just fine," she announced happily.

_Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand. _

_But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know, he's the half_

_that makes you whole, he has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man. _

_I know he'll say that he's in love. _

_But between you and me. He won't be good enough!_

Haku paled at the thought of potential suitors. No one was taking his little girl from him, even if he had to rip and tear through every male in the spirit world. _Maybe I'm not ready for this,_ he thought. _I hadn't even thought about boys coming for her hand…but it's not happening._ Zeniba seemed to be enjoying his inner torture, as she was watching him intently.

"Something bothering you?" she asked. He shook his head. He just wanted to be alone with his daughter. Zeniba got the message and rose from her chair. She gently put a hand on his shoulder and told him, "Make sure Chihiro feeds her every two hours. Good night." And she walked back up the stairs. Hake was now free to admire his little girl again. _I don't care what Chihiro tries to do; you're going to be a daddy's girl._

Chihiro came back downstairs two hours later and fed the baby, then convinced Haku to follow her upstairs so she could change her diaper. Haku went only when Chihiro promised that he wouldn't have to actually do anything.

Haku watched in awe as Chihiro skillfully removed the tiny newborn diaper and tossed it in the pail, then wiped her and sprinkled powder on her smooth bottom. She finally wrapped the infant in a new diaper and re-dressed her in a pink sleeper. She finished it off with a pink cap. She picked up her little girl and carried her back downstairs where they stayed for the rest of the evening.

Finally, Chihiro turned to Haku, cradling the baby to her chest. "Well, are you ready to name her?" she asked.

"I think so," said Haku, taking his daughter into his arms. He carefully examined her face, thinking hard. Eventually, he spoke. "Kaida Aiko."

"Hmm…Kaida Aiko Nigihayami," said Chihiro thoughtfully. "That sounds good." She looked down at their daughter tapped her nose softly. "Hello, Kaida." The baby cooed happily. Haku smiled and carefully nuzzled his daughter's head under his chin. Chihiro kissed them both lightly. _This could not possibly get any better_, she thought.

Two days later, Chihiro opened her front door to reveal Lin, Kamajii, and Boh standing on their porch.

"Hey, guys," said Chihiro, letting them in. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to see the baby," said Lin, handing her a package. Chihiro opened it.

"Ooh, chocolate cake," said Chihiro, almost drooling. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," said Lin, looking around. "We didn't wake the baby, did we?"

"Oh, no," said Chihiro, putting the cake on the counter.

"So," said Lin, hands on her hips. "You've obviously had the baby (Chihiro had ended up losing around ten pounds when she delivered, and definitely looked thinner). So, what is it?" Chihiro stared for a moment, then realized what the yuna was asking.

"Oh, you don't know?" she asked, laughing.

"No, Zeniba wouldn't tell us," said Lin, annoyed. "All she said was that the baby was born and to come in two days. So…?"

"It's a girl," said Chihiro, rolling up the sleeves of her pink sweatshirt. She had looked at herself in the mirror that morning, dressed in her sweatshirt and jeans, her hair in a ponytail, and thought to herself, _Oh Kami, I already look like a mom. Look, I even have a little front-butt. Oh, man, I've got to work this off._

"Aww," said Lin. "A girl. How's Haku taking it? I bet he wanted a boy."

"Actually," said Chihiro, trailing off as Haku himself entered the room, swaying Kaida from side to side and singing stupidly, making her coo happily. He stopped dead when he saw their visitors watching him, and a slow blush made its way up his neck. Chihiro had to laugh. This seemed to Bring Haku around, and he walked toward the three people.

"And to what do we owe this unexpected visit?" he said, trying to retain as much dignity as possible, but all was lost. Lin, Kamajii, and Boh all busted out laughing, making Haku blush even more. Chihiro decided to save her mate.

"Haku, Lin was just asking how you were enjoying our daughter," she said, putting a hand lightly on his arm. He smiled at her, composure returned.

"I absolutely love my little girl," said Haku proudly, showing off his pride. Everyone crowded around the baby, who was thoroughly enjoying the attention. However, when Haku smelled the cake, he turned away and Kaida fretted over the loss of her father's attention. He quickly turned back to her and she seemed happy again.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was seated in the living room. Kaida was nestled in her bouncer on the floor by her father's feet. He tapped it lightly with his foot, making it bounce slowly, lulling his little girl.

"Oh," said Lin quietly, "We forgot to ask, what's her name?"

Chihiro smiled. "Kaida Aiko Nigihayami," she said. "Haku named her." Haku blushed slightly.

"Aww, little dragon," said Lin, smiling. "The name fits her." They gazed down at the baby a bit more before Kamajii spoke.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"For what?" chorused Haku and Chihiro.

"Many people will be flocking to see Kaida," said Kamajii. "Word has spread that the first baby to be born from the bathhouse has arrived. Little as she may be, she has already come to be known as 'The Miracle Bath Baby.'"

"Why?" asked Chihiro.

"Because," said Zeniba, coming downstairs, "as far as we know, she is the only one, except for you and Haku of course, to break one of Yubaba's curses." She turned to the three visitors and smiled. "Hello, Lin, Kamajii, and Boh. How are you?" The three replied in unison with a "Fine."

"What's the big deal about Kaida breaking one of Yubaba's curses?" asked Chihiro, leaning forward. The baby woke and started to fuss. Haku swiftly bent and lifted her from the bouncer and cradled her to him. Chihiro smiled happily. _He's gotten better at that_, she though. _He's becoming a regular ol' daddy. _

"The big deal is that she has shown that she has a great deal of magic herself, even for being so young," said Zeniba, sitting down. She has persevered Yubaba's curse and fought for her life just to be born. Kaida has shown an immense sum of strength. She has the potential to become a very powerful witch." Everyone looked at the tiny baby snuggled in Haku's arms, all thinking the same thing; _All of the spirit world is talking about _this_ little thing?_ The infant, feeling everyone's gaze, opened her big eyes and burbled happily. Everyone laughed.

"I wouldn't be surprised," continued Zeniba, "if by next week, there was a line of suitors standing outside your front door. Old, young, even parents of infants, all asking for her betrothal." The old witch smiled, knowing full well it would get the dragon riled. Sure enough, at the very mention of 'betrothal,' his eyes flashed dangerously.

"Not even if I have to slay every being with a drop of testosterone in his body," he growled menacingly. Chihiro giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Protective Oyaji," she whispered so only he could hear. He sent her a thought in return.

_Damn right._ Chihiro rolled her eyes and smiled.

* * *

_I hate country, but I just couldn't pass up the chance to add in Tim Mcgraw's 'My Little Girl.' I've been interested with the song ever since I heard it. It kind of reminds me of my Papa (grandpa) whenever I was little. When I had a new boyfriend, he would always ask me, 'Is he smart?' 'Does he have a good job?' (I was only 11 at the time). But he died right after I turned twelve. Tear Oh, well, I know he'd be proud of me taking an interest in writing. Bye guys! Please review!_


	37. Chapter 37

_Author's Note: Alright, I admit it; this cahpter adds bsolutely nothing to the story, I just really wanted to write it! It's so cute! Please review and tell me what you think? _

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**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Daddy's Girl**

It had been two weeks since everyone had stopped by. Zeniba had finally left to go and run the bathhouse for Haku, and things started to settle down…a bit.

Haku and Chihiro had thought that the old woman had been joking about suitors being lined up at the door. However, she was absolutely correct. Chihiro woke the morning after Lin and the others left to a buzz on the grounds around their house. She went to the door, leaving a sleeping Kaida and Haku alone. When she threw open the door, she saw a crowd of people thronging around their house. They all looked to the door when they spotted her and began shouting.

"…Lady Chihiro, I've come for your daughter!"

"…Madam Sen, please, we ask for young Kaida's hand!"

"…I wish to have the girl as mine!"

"…I will mate with the young maiden, and she will bear many children!"

The last one got to her. Her blood boiled and she summoned a small source of power somewhere inside of her. A wind blew around her, rippling her hair and pajamas. She pulled the trigger in her mind and a great light enveloped the crowd of people. Many screamed, some ran. Everyone who remained fell quiet. When Chihiro had regained her breath and her heart slowed a bit, she registered quickly that she had just done magic. _So the practice with Zeniba is paying off,_ she thought.

She drew a deep breath and began screaming at the throng.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?" she screeched. "'YOUNG MAIDEN'? FOR KAMI'S SAKE, SHE'S NOT EVEN A WEEK OLD! HOW PERVERTED AND SICK ARE YOU? SHE'S A BABY!"

Chihiro was still fuming when Haku and Zeniba joined her on the porch. Haku had brought Kaida with him. When the crowd saw her, they went positively wild.

"Kaida! I love you!"

"Lady Kaida, please choose me!"

"Madam Kaida, pick me as your mate! You will carry my children!"

Kaida, startled by all the noise, began to cry. Her wailing pulled at Haku's heart, and he rounded on the suitors.

"ENOUGH!" he cried, instantly silencing the crowd. He clutched his daughter possessively to his bare chest, muffling her cries and covering her ears. "If any one of you bastards so much as _breathes_ on my daughter, I will personally hunt you down and shred you with my bare hands, until you are nothing but a bloody stump on the ground. Then I will feed you to the denizens of my river," he whispered menacingly. "Am I understood?"

The crowd gawped at the dragon, unbelieving that he would not want to betroth his daughter to one of their number. Haku glared down at them, daring for even one of them to cross him. Zeniba stepped in and waved her hands, sending a spell over all the suitors. It propelled them back instantly and off the property. She muttered to herself and pointed her fingers forward. A pearlescent wall formed around the house and the river, preventing the crowd from re-entering the area.

Zeniba escorted the fuming parents inside, telling them, "I warned you."

After that, when Zeniba had left and taken her barrier with her, Haku enlisted the help of the creatures the resided in his river. Whenever they saw someone unfamiliar approaching the house or river, they would instantly attack, driving the intruder away. However, they couldn't keep them away twenty-four/seven.

Two weeks later, Haku woke at seven in the morning. He looked at his precious Chihiro next to him; she was out cold. _Poor little one_, he thought, smoothing her frizzled hair. _She's been up almost all night with Kaida, feeding her every two hours. It's a good thing that Zeniba finally sent over that breast pump. Now I can feed Kaida while Chihiro rests._ Chihiro snored quietly, making Haku grin. Then he heard the soft mewling of his baby. He got out of bed, crossed to Chihiro's side, and picked Kaida up gently from her bassinet. He cradled her to his chest and sniffed. She still smelt of her mother and baby powder. _Chihiro must've changer her earlier. She should be alright for a bit._ He kissed the top of her head and walked out of the room.

Downstairs, he deposited her carefully in her bouncer and brought her into the kitchen.

"I wonder how long it's been since your mommy fed you," he said aloud. Kaida only burbled. "So I guess you're hungry, then?" He smiled, walking over to the refrigerator. He opened it and brought out eggs, bacon, sausage, and a bottle of breast milk. He started the stove and began to cook the food. Then he put the breast milk in the bottle warmer, all the while talking to Kaida, just to hear her cute mewling.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. _Please don't wake Chihiro_, he thought desperately. He un-strapped Kaida from her bouncer and cradled her to his chest. He walked to the front door and opened it. Standing in the doorway was a rugged man, dressed in green and white haori and hakama. He had brown eyes and hair. Haku stared at him, waiting for the man to speak.

"Hello, Master Kohaku," he said confidently. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to mate with your daughter? I assure, you, I am as noble as—"

Haku had heard enough. He cradled his daughter in one arm and held the other up to the man. Standing parallel to the doorway and staring straight forward, he bowed his head slightly and closed his eyes. He unleashed energy from the palm of his hand, sending the man flying. He landed beyond their property, and from there, the river occupants took care of him.

Haku shut the door with a quiet _snap_. He sighed exhaustedly. _That is the fifth idiot to make it to the door this week_, he thought. He looked down at his daughter and smiled as she gazed back at him. She gave him her very first toothless grin. Haku's heart melted right then. He tickled her under the chin lightly and nuzzled his nose into her downy soft baby hair. He smelled her scent; like warm honey and lavender, with that wonderful hint of baby powder.

He finished cooking breakfast and put a heating spell on it to keep it warm for when Chihiro woke up. Then he settled himself down on the couch and fed Kaida, cradling her in his arms. She drank noisily, grunting with effort. He noticed that she had drank most of the milk and tipped the bottle so she could get the rest. He remembered Chihiro warning him not to let her swallow air, as it would upset her stomach and give her gas. He watched as Kaida emptied the bottle and spit the nipple out. He took a cloth from beside him and wiped her mouth, dribbled with milk. Then he lifted her to his shoulder and patted her bottom lightly, forcing air from her stomach. He contemplated what to do for the rest of the day. It would be just him and Kaida, as he planned on sending Chihiro straight back to bed after she ate. She needed the rest.

Haku heard the cute little _huff huff huff _then the adorable _uurp_ that told him his daughter had burped. Unfortunately, he also heard the soft _huhrp_ that said she had just spit up. Haku was used to it; she had done it before and Chihiro showed him how to clean up. He lifted Kaida off his shoulder and placed her back in the bouncer. He wiped off her mouth and tapped her nose lovingly. He carefully removed the burp rag from his shoulder and put it on the table, to be washed later. He materialized a wet cloth and began to wipe the spot on the couch. When he was finished, it was as though it had never been dirty. Haku looked back to his daughter, however, and saw that the same did not ring true for her. He picked her up gently and carried her up the stairs.

On the second floor, Haku opened the door to his and Chihiro's bedroom quietly. He looked in on her and found her still on the bed, dead to the world. He watched her chest rise and fall as she slept. He quietly closed the door and walked to Kaida's yellow and white room. He opened her white wooden dresser and pulled out a purple crawler. Stitched on the front in blue were the words 'Daddy's Little Girl'. It was his favorite. He knelt by the changing table and pulled out a diaper and baby powder. He didn't have a problem with changing a clean diaper, only a dirty one.

He carried Kaida down the hall to the bathroom and levitated her on a small cloud her conjured. Chihiro didn't like him using magic like that. She said that it would teach Kaida to use the easy way out, but he did it anyway. Kaida was almost three weeks old and the stub of her umbilical cord had fallen off, so Haku was free to give her a bath. He turned on the tap and filled a cup with lukewarm water and poured it in the baby tub on the counter. He filled in until the water was about two inched high.

He lowered the cloud and undressed Kaida. He took off her diaper, still dry, and blew on her tubby belly, making her giggle. He picked her up and lowered her into the tub, supporting her with one hand while the other washed her. He poured the lavender soap onto the wash cloth and made it foam, then cleaned Kaida. Having the same sense of smell, they both sighed and relaxed a little as their sensitive noses caught the scent. Haku washed her off and began shampooing her soft hair. He lathered it and made it into cute styles. Looking at his tiny girl with a Mohawk, he asked, "I wonder if you're mommy would let me do that?" Kaida blew a raspberry. Haku chuckled. "No, I suppose you're right. She'd have my head if I even tried to cut your hair." He rinsed her hair and lifted her out of the tub. He quickly wrapped her in the warm terrycloth bath blanket and pulled the hood over her head. It dropped over her face and her tiny hand clawed at it, trying to raise it. Haku laughed and lifted it, kissing her on the nose.

He dried her off and brought her back to her room. He laid her on the changing table and picked up the new diaper. He lifted her small legs and slid it under her bottom, sprinkled her with powder, then secured it around her waist, hiding half of her innie bellybutton. He blew a soft raspberry in each of her palms and kissed her feet, making her giggle. He wiped the drool from her mouth before pulling the crawler over her head and fastening the crotch. He pulled little purple and blue booties onto her feet, and finished with a purple cap lined with blue on her head. He looked down at her and smiled. _She's perfect_, he thought, _and so adorable. Something tells me she and her mother will run me ragged. They'll both be able to step all over me, and I'll lay for them to do it._ He fixed his eyes on her porcelain face and saw her grin, as if to say, 'you're betcha, Daddy.' He smiled more and picked her up.

He carried her down the stairs, making a pit stop to check on Chihiro. She seemed to be stirring. Downstairs, he sat Kaida in a sling that Zeniba had given them as a gift and set to work, cleaning the house. He swept and mopped the floor; saving vacuuming for after Chihiro woke up. He cleaned the table and the stove, than washed the dishes and what must have been twenty-some bottles. He would work on the upstairs later. He looked at the clock; it was ten o'clock. It had been two hours since he had fed Kaida. He was about to get a bottle when he heard Chihiro come down the stairs. As she did, Haku caught that terrible smell he tried to avoid.

"Good morning," said Chihiro brightly; sleeping in seemed to be working for her.

"Good morning, little one," greeted Haku, taking Kaida from her sling. Chihiro noticed the look on his face.

"Does she need to be changed?" she asked, holding out her hands. Haku nodded.

"And fed," he added, handing the baby over.

"Yea, I know," said Chihiro, cuddling Kaida to her. He noticed two damp spots on her pajama top. She kissed him and headed up the stairs.

"Hey," called Haku as she reached the bottom step, "I'm about to do laundry. I need your shirt." He looked away to set up a toy he had knocked over. When he turned back, Chihiro's pajama top came flying towards him, hitting him in the face. He pulled it off and looked at the stairs in time to catch Chihiro's disappearing onto the next floor as she laughed. He grumbled a bit, then chuckled to himself. He picked up her shirt and added it to the basket next to him.

Chihiro reappeared again in three minutes. She sat down on the couch next to Haku. Handing Kaida over to him for a moment, she unbuttoned her blue shirt and unhooked her nursing bra. Haku gave her back the baby and she put her to her breast. Kaida found her mother's nipple and latched on. Chihiro smiled and covered herself with the nursing blanket, patting her daughter's bottom. Haku kissed her on the temple as their baby nursed loudly.

While Chihiro fed Kaida, Haku went upstairs. He changed his clothes, as he was still in his pajamas, and began to clean. He picked up clothes and added them to his basket. Then he swept and mopped the upstairs. He didn't have to vacuum Kaida's room; there was very little traffic in there, as the baby didn't sleep in there yet. He came back downstairs and found Chihiro at the kitchen table, eating her still hot breakfast, Kaida in her bouncer. She smiled as he entered. He kissed her on the cheek as she shoveled the last of her eggs into her mouth.

"What are you going to do today?" she asked, bouncing Kaida gently.

"I thought I'd clean up a bit," said Haku, washing her plate. "Since we're going back to the bathhouse this weekend, I'd figured now would be the time." Chihiro made a face at the idea of going back. It wasn't that she didn't like the bathhouse; she just enjoyed staying by the river where it was peaceful and she had Haku all to herself. _Well, almost all to myself_, she thought as Kaida burbled softly. Chihiro smiled and picked her up, cradling her close.

"I know," said Haku, drying the dishes and putting them away. "But I've given myself an extensive paternity leave, and I need to get back. Believe me, I'd rather stay here with my favorite girls, but then I wouldn't have any money for you two to spend later." Chihiro smiled at him. "So what are you going to do?" Haku asked.

"I don't know," said Chihiro, turning her attention to the baby. "I guess I'll get Kaida's things packed, then ours—" Haku cut her off.

"No," he said, lifting Kaida into his own arms. "You go take a long, hot, relaxing bath. I'll take Kaida." He saw the look on her face at giving up her baby for the whole day. "You know you want to," he coaxed. She conceded.

"Alright," she said, throwing up her hands in mock surrender. "I give. I'll go take a bath. I'll see you two later." She kissed them both and went back up the stairs.

Haku's next task was the laundry. They had ordered a washer and dryer set, but there was a delay in the delivery, so until then, laundry was done outside.

While it was still technically fall (A/N: Kaida was born in November), it was rather chilly outside, so Haku ran upstairs and fetched a warmer outfit for his daughter. He came back downstairs and dressed her in his other favorite outfit, a two-piece overall set. It was pink with 'Daddy's Little Princess' scrawled on the front in white. He pulled two pairs of socks onto her feet, then white booties, and finally a pink and white cap. He then wrapped her in a blanket Lin had made and sent over the week before. It was pink and fluffy with her full name stitched on the lower right corner.

When he had finished, Kaida looked up at him, confusion swimming in her large, bright eyes. He looked into them and saw the same jade staring back at him. He smiled and tapped her nose affectionately.

"Don't worry, little one," he said. "You're going on your first trip past the porch." He picked her up and set her in the sling at his chest. He uttered a few words and passed his hands over his daughter's body, heating the sling. "There," he said when he was done. "Now, you won't be cold outside." He picked up the basket of clothes and walked outside.

Chihiro looked out of the bathroom window as steam filled the room. She watched as Haku crossed the grounds to the river, Kaida at his chest. She was about to open the window and yell at him for being so damn irresponsible for taking their newborn out into the cold, when she was the slight glimmer around her infant's body. _Oh, a heating spell_, she thought. _Well, as long as she's warm._ She knew that she was; Haku had used a large heating spell on the river when she had given birth. The temperature was quite comfortable; the pain, however, that was another story.

Haku reached the river and set the laundry down. "What am I going to do with you, little one?" he wondered aloud. At that moment, he heard a splash from the river. Looking up, he saw a male fish spirit a female Kappa. Despite popular belief, many Kappas were friendly, and they had to be to stay in Haku's river.

"Master Haku," said the Kappa, pulling herself from the water and bowing. "May we be of assistance?" Haku contemplated for a moment.

"Yes," he said, conjuring a small cradle in front of him. "I need to do the laundry. Could you watch my daughter while I do?" he asked, taking Kaida from his chest. The Kappa and fish spirit smiled.

"Of course," they said. Haku laid his daughter in the cradle as the other two came to watch her.

While Haku was in the river, which he had heated, Haku heard the others talking.

"Aww, she's so cute," commented the Kappa.

"Mm-hmm," agreed the fish spirit. "And she has a strong grip, too." Haku turned around to see his baby's hand sticking out of her blanket and latched around the spirit's fin. Paternal pride swelled in his chest.

"Master Haku," called the Kappa, "what is her name?"

"Kaida," said Haku, wringing out the last of the clothes. "Kaida Aiko Nigihayami."

"Oh, it's right here on her blanket," said the Kappa. "That's a very pretty name."

Haku picked up the laundry basket and headed back up the bank. He sat Kaida back in her sling.

"Thank you," he said to the Kappa and the spirit. "Would you like to come into the house for something to drink?"

The Kappa smiled at him. "That's sounds lovely, Master Haku, but it appears we have something we need to take care of." They all looked to the left and saw yet another man winding his way up the river. He spotted them and called out,

"Master Kohaku Nigihayami, what an honor! I don't mean to be forward, but I have come to ask for your daughter's hand—"

The Kappa smiled again. "Go inside, Master. We will take care of this." So Haku bid them good-bye and walked back to the house. When he reached the front door, he heard the man give a yelp followed by a crash. He looked up and saw the man sailing over his house and out of sight. He smiled to himself as he went inside.


	38. Chapter 38

_Author's Note: Okay, I'm sick, achey, coughing, and my voice is going. And to top it off, I've had writer's block! This is the best I could do, so here it is. I'm thinking, but not getting much, so feel free to send some ideas. Thanks for all the reviews, they're great! Please review this chapter. Oh, by the way, I've set up my livejournal, and posted pictures I've drawn of this story. The link is on my profile, so check it out and tell me what you think! Bye!_

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**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Welcome, Miracle Bath Baby!**

Haku and Chihiro had loaded all of the stuff that they were taking with them into the carriage. Haku was hooking the marine-equine together when Chihiro came outside, a pink moving mass in her arms that he knew was Kaida.

"Are we ready?" asked Chihiro, climbing into the carriage.

"I think so," said Haku, following her. And with that, they rose from the ground and flew off to the bathhouse.

They touched down two hours later on the grounds in front of the bathhouse. Haku cradled Kaida to his chest and offered his hand to Chihiro. She took it and jumped down from the carriage. Haku told the frog spirits around to bring in their things and send the marine-equine back home. He took Chihiro's hand and they walked into the bathhouse, Kaida held between them.

Zeniba had told them that she had ordered all of the spirits in the bathhouse to leave them alone. However, when they walked through the entrance, they were surprised to find all of the spirits and yunas were in the entrance hall. They all bowed as Haku and Chihiro approached.

"What are you all doing?" asked Haku, standing in the middle of the hall. One of the frog spirits came forward.

"Master Haku, we are paying our respects to the Miracle Bath Baby," he squeaked.

"All of you," said Chihiro. "Get up. Do not treat our daughter as if she is a chosen one. She is not someone who will lead everyone to a promise land. Treat her as you would a normal baby." And with that, she walked onto the elevator.

When he was sure that she couldn't hear him, Haku said to the staff, "But do treat her with respect. After all, she is my daughter." He began to walk and followed his mate.

Back in the room, Chihiro was sitting on the bed, cradling Kaida. She sat her on the bed beside her and undid her shirt, then bra. She lifted the infant to her chest and she began to suckle. Chihiro had to admit, it became easier every time she fed Kaida. Chihiro looked around her bedroom, taking in all of the surroundings. _It's only been a month, but it seems like I've been away longer._ She chuckled to herself. _The last time I was here, I didn't have anything to care for. Now I'm a real mom. Wow, this is going to be interesting._ She took Kaida away from her breast and laid her in the bassinet someone had brought in. Then she re-hooked her bra and fastened her shirt.

As Chihiro was leaning over the bassinet, tickling her daughter's feet, Haku came quietly into the room. He stood in front of the closed door and motioned silently. He folded his hands together and placed them under his head, mimicking sleep, and then rocked his arms. He was asking if Kaida was asleep. Chihiro laughed and shook her head. She turned to her mate.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, lifting the baby into her arms. "Did you forget that we can read each other's minds?" Haku gave an embarrassed smile.

"Oops, you're right. I forgot." Chihiro slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"What's up?" she asked, laying Kaida gently on the bed and removing her diaper. Haku covered his nose with his hands, making his words muffled.

"WimeeddowohsheZeniba," he said, hands over his face. Chihiro placed a fresh diaper on their daughter and Haku quickly banished the dirty one away. Chihiro removed his hands from her face, smiling.

"One more time," she said, cocking her head to the side. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"I said, 'I need to go see Zeniba.'"

"Oh, do you want me to go?"

"No, little one; I need to see the old witch alone. You stay here and rest. I dare say that Lin will be up here soon." He smiled and kissed Chihiro. He gently mussed Kaida's hair, then left the room. Chihiro ran to the window with Kaida in her arms. She pulled back the curtains in time to see her beautiful white and blue dragon soaring through the skies, making his way towards Zeniba's house.

Haku transformed twelve feet above the ground and landed with a small _tpp _on one foot, kneeling. He walked to the humble house and knocked on the door. It pulled open a second later, revealing Zeniba, peering down at him through her spectacles.

"Hello, Haku," she said warmly, opening the door. He bowed his head and stepped in.

"So," he said five minutes later, sitting down and sipping tea, "what do you have to tell me that is so important that it could not be prolonged so that I could have more time with my family?"

"Haku," said Zeniba seriously, "I trust you remember what you told a few months ago?"

"I've told you much, Zeniba," replied Haku. "To what are you referring?"

"You said that you sensed a great evil coming. It grew closer and closer by the day."

"Oh, yes; that."

"You seem more relaxed about it now. Do you not feel it anymore?"

"No, Zeniba. It seems to have retreated. I have not sensed it for several weeks."

"Do you think it's gone?"

"Not by any means," said Haku, setting down his cup and smiling sardonically. "It seems only to have backed off, but I think that it will try and advance again."

"How long before that happens, do you think?"

"I'd say a fair amount of time, at least a year," he bowed his head. "When it returns, however, it will be more evil and powerful than before."

"Do you know what it wants?"

"One can only guess. I believe that it wishes to take over the spirit world, and will probably try to start with the bathhouse."

The conversation later turned to Chihiro's parents.

"Haku, now that your family is well underway, have you thought about Chihiro's parents?"

Haku looked up from his tea. "Hmm?"

"You were absolutely hell-bent on exacting revenge on them a year ago. Do you still feel that way?"

Haku thought for a moment. "Yes," he said finally. "Chihiro's parents can no longer go on living without paying for the abuse the put her through." This pleased the old witch to no end. It wasn't that she was a malicious person; on the contrary, she hated violence. She just hated to see anyone hurt her adopted granddaughter more.

"So, what do you want to do, and when do you want to do it?" she asked, a wicked smile on her old, cracked lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Haku flew home, his heart lighter than it had been in months. He felt free as he swooped and swirled through the sky, but he missed the feel of Chihiro at his side and Kaida on his chest. He sped off back toward the bathhouse hurriedly, eager to get back to his family.

Haku and Chihiro were in their room that night, getting ready for bed. Chihiro was on the bed with Kaida, holding her upright and supporting her with her hand. Haku sat down next to her and tickled his daughter's belly. She smiled and giggled, drool coming from her mouth. Haku wiped it away with a cloth and smiled.

"Haku," said Chihiro, lying Kaida down, "what exactly is Kaida?"

Haku looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're a powerful river spirit, I'm a human, so what does that make Kaida?"

"Good question," said Haku, contemplating his daughter. "I don't think that there has ever been a child born from a human and a spirit."

"Do you think she'll be able to turn into a dragon?" asked Chihiro.

"I don't know, but she'll definitely be able to fly. I just don't know how," concluded Haku. "And we know she'll be a witch and can use magic. I can already tell that she has the powers of a river spirit, so it seems that the river will go to her."

"Who's going to train her in magic?" asked Chihiro, laying Kaida in her bassinet and covering her lightly.

"Well, you," said Haku, kissing Kaida on the forehead. He turned back to his mate, who was staring at him with her mouth slightly ajar.

"Me?" she asked.

"Of course," said Haku, laying down on the bed and pulling the covers of both of them. "You've been doing a fair bit of magic yourself, right?" Chihiro nodded her head slowly. "Then by the time Kaida is ready to start practicing, you should be fluent with it. And Zeniba will help you if you want."

Chihiro smiled, for once thinking herself worthy of her mate. "I'll train her," she said. She turned her head and kissed Haku. "Good night, my handsome dragon."

"Good night, my beautiful little one," answered Haku, kissing her back. She settled against him and he wrapped his arms around her ever-shrinking waist and sunk into the comfy mattress. He and Chihiro had agreed on one thing when Kaida; no sex for six weeks, until Chihiro had healed. However, Haku found that this would take a great deal of will on his part.


	39. Chapter 39

_Author's Note: Alright, I think I'm over my writer's block. This chapter doesn't have much, but the exitement begins next chapter, which I will start right now! Please review!_

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**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Aunty Lin!**

Haku and Chihiro now depended on one thing more than anything, even love: caffeine. Even though Kaida was now three and a half months old, they were still up with her for a majority of the night. They usually sent one of the staff into a local village at least every two days.

Kaida, while not overly-troublesome, seemed to be slightly colicky. She would go to bed at a normal time, around eight o'clock, but awoke at around two in the morning, crying her tiny lungs out. Haku and Chihiro still slept with her in their room, but took her to her own room when she cried. There, whoever was with her would rock and cuddle her, trying their best to make the tiny baby comfortable. She would cry and scream until about three thirty, when she would finally fall into an exhausted sleep. It pained her parents to no end, but there was nothing they could do except wait for her to grow out of it.

There was an up side, however; their six week wait was up. They got Lin to watch Kaida as often as possible so that they could have their 'alone time.' And Lin was more than happy to watch the little girl.

Lin was sitting in her room (Haku had given her her own room when he came into control of the bathhouse), when there was a knock on the door. She slowly got up and crossed the room. She opened the door and revealed Chihiro standing in the doorway. Her green tunic had been pulled away from her shoulder and was hanging haphazardly, threatening to reveal her chest. Her hair was a mussy mess and her face was flushed. Lin gave her an observing smile. Chihiro glared at her, her eyes deep and impatient.

"What have _you_ been up to?" asked the yuna, leaning against the doorframe.

"Shut up," said Chihiro, pushing a few flyaway strands of messy hair from her face.

"What? It was just a question," replied Lin innocently. Chihiro gave her another look.

"Are you gonna watch her tonight or not?" asked Chihiro. Lin quickly snapped her attitude back in line; she had been looking forward to this all day.

"Yes," she said, holding out her arms. Chihiro lifted the carrier she was holding and handed it to Lin.

"Alright," said Chihiro, poking her head into the blankets and kissing the little bundle inside. "I'll see you later, baby. Thanks, Lin. Bye!" And with that, she ran back to the elevator, up a floor, and back to her amorous dragon.

Lin set the carrier down on the floor and opened the blankets gently. "Hello, Kaida," she said happily. Kaida burbled and smiled, revealing pink gums. Lin tickled her under the chin, grinning.

"So what are we going to do tonight?" she asked the infant, picking her up. "Girl's night? Painting each other's toenails? Telling funny stories?" Kaida giggled. "How about food?" asked Lin, smiling big. She lowered the baby to her lap and dug around in the bag attached to the carrier. She found what she was looking for and pulled it out. She cradled Kaida in her arms and gave her the bottle. Lin laughed as Kaida reached for it, trying to grasp it herself.

As Lin was feeding Kaida, she heard noises from upstairs. A few soft _thuds_ and then quiet moaning. That was followed by a muffled male laugh, high-pitched feminine giggle, and a bed hitting a wall. Lin rolled her eyes and tried to drown out the intrusions, thinking to herself, _What kind of example are those two setting? Honestly, they're acting like children. Then again, Chihiro _is_ only sixteen, so I suppose she's entitled to, and I've never seen Haku happier then when he's with her._ She looked down at Kaida, happily sucking her bottle. _But I wonder what they're using as contraception._

When Kaida was finished with her bottle, Lin changed her diaper. While Haku had reservations, Lin did not. She changed the child with quick precision and was done in under a minute. She then lifted Kaida and played with her a bit, kissing her feet and blowing raspberries against her cheeks. They passed an hour easily, and then Lin cradled the baby and snuggled her.

Kaida fought sleep for a while, quickly jarring her head when she nodded off, but in the end it was futile. Her little head, adorned with coffee and a slight hint of jade, fell against Lin's chest, her breaths even and her mouth puckered in sleep. As Lin ran her fingers through the infant's short, downy hair, Kaida let out soft snores of contentment and snuggled closer. Lin smiled and looked at the clock; nine thirty. _Thirty more minutes until her parents come back for her._

Lin passed the time cradling the baby and singing softly to her. At around ten o'clock, there was a soft knock at her door. She adjusted Kaida in her arms and got up. Opening the door revealed Haku. He was standing in the hallway, shirt-less, flushed, and tousle-haired. His pants were halfheartedly tied around his waist and there were red scratch-marks on his shoulders. But he wore an enormous smile on his relaxed lips. Lin smiled knowingly at him.

"Are you sure you want her back?" she asked. "It sounded like you two were having fun." She indicated the ceiling. While Chihiro would have blushed at this accusation, Haku simply smiled wider.

"Yes," he said, holding out his arms. "I believe we are." Lin placed Kaida in his arms and went to fetch her carrier. But Haku held up a hand and magically gathered all of her stuff and brought it to him. He adjusted his daughter slightly to make her more comfortable and turned around. Waving good-night, he walked to the elevator, levitating the baggage behind him.

Haku woke with a start the next morning. He was sitting in Chihiro's glider (and he could see why she was so persistent to have it), Kaida in his arms. He thought back to the previous night and smiled. It had been wondrous. _Even though we've been out of practice for almost nine months, last night was the best in a long time._ He was drawn out of his thoughts by Kaida squirming against his chest. She had been colicky again and it was Haku's turn to stay with her. He lifted her as her large jade eyes opened. Then he caught the noxious smell that made his stomach turn. He gently put her back into his arms and listened to see if Chihiro was up; he always took Kaida to her for this. However, slow, even breaths met his ears from the next room, telling him that she was still asleep. He didn't want to wake her, but wasn't sure if he could do this himself. _Like I have a choice_, he thought, getting up.

He carried her to the changing table and pulled out all the necessary materials. He stood over his daughter, steeling himself against what was to come. The smell was bad enough, but he had a super-sensitive nose, making it all the more torturous. Quickly, he peeled the soiled diaper from his infant's waist and banished it as fast as he could, but not before catching a whiff. He nearly passed out. Haku held his breath as he wiped her, then magically sent that away, too. He let out the breath threatening to explode his chest. As he then liberally sprinkled powder on her backside and fastened the new diaper around her tummy. Then, Haku pulled out a blue and green crawler with 'Not a Girly-Girl' scrawled on the front. He fastened her into it and picked her up. He examined her, proud that he had actually changed her diaper without losing consciousness.

"There," he said, tapping her nose, "that's all done. Now, let's go down to breakfast." He carried her down the hall, to the elevator, and down to the dining room.

He sat down in the chair at the head of the table, positioning Kaida on his lap so she was sitting up supported by her father's hands. One of the frog spirits was there in an instant, handing him his coffee, a bottle, and taking his breakfast order. It ran off to cook, leaving Haku and Kaida alone again. Haku took a drink of his coffee, reveling in the wide-awake taste, then gave Kaida the bottle. She gulped the milk down fervently, gazing up at her father, eyes bright and shining. Haku smiled down at her.

Suddenly, one of the frog spirits ran into the dining room, waving a piece of paper. He handed it wordlessly to Haku, then turned and left. Haku looked at it and found that it was a note. He read it silently.

_Haku,_

_Today is the perfect day to start our planned revenge. All you have to do is give me the word, and step one will begin. Please get back to me as soon as you can, or better yet, come and see me._

_Zeniba_

Haku put the note down and smiled to himself. Kaida seemed to notice her father's good mood, for she spit out the finished bottle and gazed at him questioningly. Haku merely kissed her forehead and tapped her nose.

Haku quickly made his way back to Kaida's room and went inside. He pulled out a blue and green cap and booties and put them on his daughter's kicking feet. He put a green jacket on her and wrapped her in her pink, monogrammed blanket.

Haku crept silently into his and Chihiro's room. Chihiro was still sleeping soundly, and he didn't want to wake her. He laid a small note saying where he and Kaida would be, then left the room without making a sound.

He didn't know how to fly without dropping Kaida, so Haku conjured another cloud and stepped onto it. It began to rise steadily and then zipped off to Zeniba's.


	40. Chapter 40

_Author's Note: Okay, first of all, big thanks to Spiked Dragon, who had a great idea. Thank you sooooo much!!!!!!!! Alright, here goes; chapter forty, see what happens._

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**Chapter Forty: Revenge Is Sweet—Part One**

Haku landed gently on the ground, his daughter Kaida in his arms. The cloud they had been riding dissipated at his feet and he walked to the house before him.

Haku knocked on the door and it was immediately opened, revealing the old witch.

"Haku, it's about time," she said, opening her door wider and letting him in. "I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry, Zeniba," said Haku, lifting his daughter from the sling at his chest. "Chihiro was asleep and I didn't want to leave Kaida for her to wake up to." The old woman then noticed that he had brought the infant with him.

"Aww," she cooed, opening her arms and holding the baby. "The poor thing. You brought her all the way out here in the cold. She must be freezing." Zeniba simpered over the baby, whom thoroughly enjoyed the attention.

"She didn't," said Haku, sitting down at the kitchen table. "I cast a heating spell."

Zeniba didn't seem to hear him, for she was busy fussing over the baby, heating a bottle for her. Haku sighed, tired from the combination of sex with Chihiro and his daughter's constant cries during the night. When he heard his little girl's laugh, however, his spirits picked up instantly. He listened to her burble and giggle contentedly.

"So, Haku," said Zeniba, sitting down next to him and handing him back Kaida. "are you sure this is the punishment you wish for them?"

"Only the beginning, Zeniba," said Haku with a slightly evil smirk on his face. "Now, let's get started."

"Alright," said Zeniba, pulling forward her spell book and flipping the page. "Here it is," she said, returning his smirk.

"And so we begin," stated Haku, adjusting a squirming Kaida in his lap.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuuko Ogino woke with a start. She sat in bed, dripping with a cold sweat. _That was a terrible dream_, she thought. _My arms actually hurt from the sheer memory of it._ She lifted a hand to her face, he sleeve rolling down her ever-thinning arm. She gasped at what she saw. Bruises, dark purple and blue, lined her arm. _What the hell?_ She got out of bed and walked to the mirror across the room.

As she peered at her pale reflection, she lifted her night shirt and stared at her stomach. There were red marks and bruises everywhere. The same rang true for her back, blue and purple covered most of it. _How the hell did this happen?_ she thought. Then the dream came back to her.

She was small, smaller than she had been for many years now, and she was terribly frail. There was a big man, a big mean man. He had struck her…repeatedly. She would cower every time he raised his hand and cry with pain when he brought it down. He had beat every inch of her that his fat hands could reach. Her cries only made him more determined to pound her into oblivion. She had woken up right after he slapped her, grazing her cheek. Yuuko subconsciously raised a hand to her face and felt her cheek. She pulled her fingers away and discovered that they were covered with blood. _Oh my gods,_ she thought, slightly panicky.

She walked back to the bed with her husband. Still shaken, she covered herself with as much of the blanket that her husband, in all his vastness, was not already occupying.

She was fixing breakfast the next morning when her husband walked in, shaking all the objects in the room. He elevated a hand slightly in greeting and preceded to his usual chair. It groaned as he sat down, tired of bearing his weight. Yuuko handed her husband a plate of eggs, toast, steak, and pancakes, his usual breakfast. As she looked at him, she was suddenly filled with fear. She shrank away from him, though he was completely oblivious.

_Why was I afraid of him?_ she thought to herself, returning to the counter for her grapefruit. Yuuko was very proud of her diet; she had managed to get her weight back down almost one hundred and seventy. It was as though a fog that had encompassed her for the past seven years was being lifted. And with it came one thing she had been missing for a little over a year now; her daughter, Chihiro.

Everyone believed that Chihiro had run away, fleeing an abusive home. Yuuko agreed with this, but still felt like her daughter was close by. She felt terrible for all the things that she had done to her, and wanted desperately to make it up to her.

Her husband, on the other hand, couldn't care less if his daughter was ever found. All he wanted was to eat, eat, and eat some more. He had beaten Chihiro, many times to within an inch of her life. And she, Yuuko, had done nothing to stop it. She didn't blame her daughter if she hated her, she had every right to. Yuuko was brought out of her musings by her hefty husband's thick, booming voice.

"Yuuko, did you have a weird dream last night?" he asked in between pancakes.

"Actually, I did," said Yuuko, joining her husband at the table. His appearance almost sickened her; he was large, rude, and crude.

"I woke up this morning feeling like someone had ran me over with a herd of horses. Look," he said, trying to lift his shirt from his back, which was almost impossible to do. Everything seemed almost impossible for him; even walking was becoming difficult. Yuuko helped him with his shirt and gasped; bruises, much like hers, covered his fatty, ample back.

_What the hell is this?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chihiro woke later that morning, refreshed, to an empty room. _I wonder where Haku is_, she thought. _With Kaida?_ As she rolled over, she saw spotted the note that Haku had left her. She quickly scanned it, then got up and threw on some clothes.

She marched to the balcony and stood at the edge, tapping into that source of power deep within her. She waved her hands, murmuring under her breath. She concentrated, and eventually, a small, thin cloud appeared. It was not nearly as good as Haku's but it flew, and that was all that mattered. She stepped onto it and it shot off instantly, traveling the same route her mate had taken earlier.

She touched down none too gracefully fifteen minutes later and stumbled to the door. She smacked into it, reminding her of a time over seven years ago as she flew to see the broiler man. The door opened as Chihiro rubbed her red face, revealing Zeniba. In her arms was Kaida, burbling away. When she saw her mother, she stretched her arms out, opening and closing her fingers. Chihiro smiled and took her baby, then stepped inside.

"What are you doing?" she asked when she saw Haku. Haku lowered his head guiltily below his shoulders, trying to hide from her wrath. "Do you realize how cold it is? And you took our daughter out into it? You know she's not even four months old, right?"

"Yes, dear," he answered, playing along with the advice Kamajii had given him earlier.

"Then what are you doing here?" she asked, hand on her hip. Haku thought for a moment; did he really want to tell her? He struggled, then,

"We're here, paying back your parents for the years of abuse." All the steam flew out of Chihiro. She was dumbfounded; what? Why were they? And what were they doing? This last one, she voiced.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting down at the table. Zeniba quickly got her a cup of tea, which she accepted.

"Right now, we're sending them realdreams," said Haku, indicating the spell book.

"What are realdreams?" asked Chihiro, looking at the book.

"It's a dream spell that allows the victim to dream rather unpleasant things, then discover when they wake up, that it actually happened to them," explained Haku.

"And what did you use on my parents?" she asked, giving her mate a withering glance.

"We're making them dream about the beatings that they made you endure," said Haku. "They relive what it was like for you to be hit, then wake up and see bruises all over their bodies."

"Why are you doing this?" asked Chihiro, feeling faint. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate it, she just didn't know that the spirit world had magic like this.

"We've been planning this ever since you returned," said Zeniba, sitting down next to her. "Your parents should not go unpunished for their crimes. You agree?" Chihiro, confused by all of this, only nodded her head and cuddled her baby.

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_In case you didn't get it, there's going to be one/more parts to this. It will have a twist, I just haven't figured out how to put it in. But I will! There will be a story after this, so it won't end. And I'm coming up with more ideas, which I think I will put into continuing stories, a bit like a trilogy. Thanks for reading, please review!_


	41. Chapter 41

_Author's Note: Thanks for all of the reviews and ideas, I'm sure I will be using some of them a little later. Ok, I don't feel well right now (feminine problems --), so this might be the last chapter I post for the day, but I will get another up soon. Thank you guys soo much, and please review!_

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**Chapter Forty-One: Revenge Is Sweet—Part Two**

Yuuko woke up again in the middle of the night, drenched in a cold sweat. Peering down at her arms, she saw a familiar sight; more bruises, dark and tender.

_These dreams have been going on for seven days,_ she thought, catching her breath and getting out of bed for a glass of water. _And these bruises look so much like the ones that Chihiro always bore. I wonder if it's a sign?_ She voiced the last one to her husband at breakfast.

"Akio," she said, handing her husband his plate, "have you heard anything from Chihiro lately?" Her husband grunted.

"Chihiro who?" He said thickly, flapping the paper, his arms wobbling.

"_Our daughter_," answered Yuuko coldly.

"Oh, yeah, _her_," said Akio, chowing down on his food. "Nope, haven't heard anything. Not like I care." Yuuko sighed.

_I wonder where she is right now_, she thought later that afternoon. _Oh, wait! I remember her saying something in her sleep right after we moved here. What was it? Oh, yes, she muttered 'Haku, come get me. Haku, take me back to the spirit world. I'll meet you at the tunnel.' What could that mean?_

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Back at the bathhouse, Chihiro had forgiven Haku for exposing Kaida and keeping a secret from her. Now, she had actually joined their plan, and was awaiting the next step. It was a week after they started the realdreams.

"Haku, what time do we go?" she asked, nursing Kaida in their room. The little girl was starting to develop the first signs of teeth, and her parents knew that teething was going to be pure hell.

"We leave at six o'clock," said Haku, putting his hand on her head and smiling. _She's so eager,_ he thought to himself. _It's good that she's finally going to get some closure._ He watched his mate happily nurse their daughter, then lay her gently on the bed to changer her. Haku covered his nose (just because he did it once, doesn't mean he had to do it every time), and magicked the soiled diaper away.

The time passed slowly, but six o'clock finally came. Haku and Chihiro packed for a night away, left Kaida with Zeniba while she watched the bathhouse, and departed for the tunnel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuuko was walking through the forest, darkness setting. She had remembered earlier that day what her daughter had meant. When they had made the trip here from their old home, they had stopped for lunch at an abandoned theme park. _And we had to walk through a tunnel to get there_, she remembered.

She finally made her way through the trees to the tunnel. She stopped in front of it, peering up at it. It looked exactly the same, if not a little more worn. Yuuko gazed inside, a slight sense of foreboding emanating from it. She obeyed her gut and did not enter, but sat down in front of the tunnel; she had a feeling that something would be coming soon. Time passed and she eventually fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Come on, Haku," said Chihiro happily, skipping from rock to rock over the river with more grace than she had had seven years ago. Haku laughed.

"I'm coming, little one," he said, stepping on the rocks after her. He hadn't seen her this happy since before Kaida was born. She smiled at him and ran to the entrance of the tunnel. He joined her and she took his hand. Together, they stepped through.

They emerged in the human world a minute later. Tonight's mission: confront Akio and Yuuko with a ghost from the past. However, they stumbled across something that would interfere with this plan drastically.

Chihiro began walking when her petite foot hit something soft. It flinched and rose up. Chihiro found herself looking into the face of her mother.

Yuuko spoke first. "Ch…Chihiro?" she said faintly, not believing what was staring her in the face.

"Mom?" said Chihiro, barely registering anything.

"I-is it really you? Are you really here?" asked her mother, tears shining in her eyes.

"Yes, Mom, it's me," said Chihiro, feeling the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes. Suddenly, Chihiro found herself being swept into a spine-crushing hug by her mother. She felt a moistness through her tunic shirt.

"C-Chihiro, I'm so so-rry," said Yuuko, sobbing into her daughter's shoulders. "I know that I wasn't a-a very good mother t-to you. But please forgive me." She dissolved into tears, gripping at Chihiro's clothing to keep herself standing.

Chihiro's eyes were wide at her mother's sorrow; she had thought there were no kind emotions left in the woman. Chihiro hugged Yuuko back. "Ssshh," she crooned, calming her. "It's alright, Mom; I forgive you." Yuuko looked up.

"Y-you do?" she asked, tears clinging to her face. Chihiro smiled, feeling hot tears slide down her own cheeks.

"Yes, I do." Yuuko smiled back and held her daughter at arm's length, examining her. Chihiro did the same.

Chihiro gazed at her mother, mouth open in surprise. Yuuko was no longer the fat, uncaring person she was a year ago. She was slimmer and leaner. She looked better than she had in ages.

Yuuko observed Chihiro, noting all of her changes. The biggest ones were her wider hips and larger breasts. "Chihiro, what have you been doing?" asked Yuuko, suspecting the answer. "Your hips are larger; you're no longer my pure and innocent daughter, are you?" Chihiro blushed.

"No, Mom, I'm not," admitted Chihiro, wondering whether to divulge anything more. She decided yes. "I lost my virginity last spring, right before I got married."

"_Married?!?_" said Yuuko, eyes wide.

"Well, not really 'married' so much as 'mated'," said Chihiro, knowing that her mother didn't understand a word she was saying. "To a wonderful dragon named Haku, spirit of the Kohaku River. And I am a mother now myself."

Yuuko's head swam: river spirit, dragon, mating, Haku; it was all too much. The one thing that she did comprehend, however, was:

"_Mother?_"

"Yeah," said Chihiro, "Haku and I have a little girl, Kaida, she's four months old."

Yuuko recovered her sense of speech and started in. "WHAT? You have a BABY? Chihiro, you're only sixteen!"

"Seventeen, my birthday was three months ago."

"That's not the point," said Yuuko, irate. "You're too young to be married, let alone have a baby! What are you thinking? How irresponsible can you be? What happened to my good little girl, the one who would never go and sleep with some strange man all willy-nilly? You need some sense knocked into you!"

At these words, Haku, who had been standing off to the side uncomfortably, was instantly in front of his mate, ready to defend her.

"Do not threaten Chihiro," he whispered menacingly, baring his fangs. Yuuko recoiled instantly, frightened by the man's intensity.

"Haku," Yuuko heard Chihiro say. She watched as Chihiro put her hand on the man's arm gently. He seemed to calm slightly. He lowered his lips and hid his fangs at any rate. "Haku, calm down, honey." Haku turned to Chihiro and put his hands on her shoulders. Yuuko watched as he gazed lovingly down at her daughter. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just want to make sure you're okay." Chihiro smiled at him, then stepped forward to her mother.

"Mom," she said, holding Haku's hand. "This is my mate, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi." Haku bowed slightly. Yuuko returned the gesture. The young man, while definitely fierce, seemed to friendly enough when he was sure no harm would befall Chihiro.

"I am sorry," said Haku, bowing again. "I did not mean to be so violent. I just know that Chihiro has been injured many times while in your care. I did not wish for her to be in any more pain."

Yuuko winced, knowing all too well that what the man said was true, and for that, she was truly sorry. "I understand," she said. She searched for something that would fill the awkward silence. "Chihiro, you said that you have a daughter together?"

"Yes," said Chihiro, smiling and taking Haku's hand. "Our little dragon."


	42. Chapter 42

_Author's Note: Thanks guys, I feel better now (thank Kami for ibuprophen), so here's another chapter. It's a bit darker than the others and I tried not to make it gorey, but I couldn't help it, so I hope it's okay. Here ya go, please read and review!_

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**Chapter Forty-Two: Daddy Dearest**

Haku and Chihiro, along with Yuuko, who now knew what they were there to do and agreed, made their way to the Ogino home. Yuuko opened the door with her key and called for her husband.

"Akio!" she yelled, walking into the kitchen and leaving her shoes at the door. The other two followed.

"Yuuko," came Akio's thick voice, "where have you been?" Yuuko's heart jumped slightly; maybe he actually _did_ care about her. "I want some food." Yuuko let her heart drop again. _Nope, same old fat bastard_, she thought disappointedly.

"I've found our daughter," she said, placing her hands on Chihiro's shoulders and leading her towards the living room. Haku followed, slightly on edge; he knew that Akio was the one who beat Chihiro, and he was not about to let it happen again.

In the living room, Akio was sitting (more like splayed and running over) in his recliner, which looked like it was about to give out. His fat head swiveled slightly on his non-existent neck to look at his wife. He then spotted his daughter.

"What did you bring her back here for?" he asked, giving Chihiro a hateful look. "She's no good here; won't do her chores and eats far too much." Haku had had enough of this ignorance.

"You should talk," he said dangerously, blood boiling. Akio's piggy eyes widened in surprise at the newcomer.

"Who're you?" he said rudely.

"Your worst nightmare," Haku whispered dangerously.

"Akio," said Yuuko, hands still on her daughter's shoulders, "this is Haku, Chihiro's husband."

"WHAT?!?" cried Akio. He tried to raise his fat self from the recliner, enraged at the man's forthcoming and his daughter's stupidity. He managed to heave himself to the floor with a resounding _THUD!_ He glared at Haku. "You insolent little pig! You cannot marry my daughter; I have not given you permission!" He rounded on Chihiro, who tried desperately to stand her ground and not shrink into her mother's embrace. "How can you be so damn foolish? Are you that big of an idiot that you would give yourself to the first man that walks by? I'm glad that you ran away; it was obvious that you were a troublesome tramp right from the start!"

Haku had now reached his breaking point. He got in Akio's face and bared his sharp fangs, projecting his masculinity and power. Akio shrank slightly, but glared back at the dragon. "I do not need your permission to marry your daughter," hissed Haku, eyes narrowed and brows knitted. "Chihiro is smart enough to maker her own decisions. She is safer with me than she has ever been with you. I love her, but all you did for her is make her serve you and gargantuan appetite." Akio looked ready to interrupt with his own outburst, but Haku kept going.

"Chihiro is not a tramp, and if you call her anything else derogatory, you _will_ regret it. She is not an idiot; that is you, Akio. You are the biggest moron I have ever come across, and I have lived a _very_ long time. If you insult her again, then I will have to qualms with eliminating you on the spot." Haku turned gracefully on toe and walked back to his mate and her mother. Akio gaped speechlessly. Yuuko tried to get her husband on friendlier terms with Haku and Chihiro.

"Akio," she said quietly, remembering something that she was now quite excited about, "we're grandparents. Haku and Chihiro have a baby. A little girl, Kaida." Rather than calm Akio, it infuriated him.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE SUCH LIBERTIES WITH MY DAUGHTER!" he screamed, making his way to Haku, raring to grab his pencil neck and throttle him. "YOU HAVE DESECRATED A PURE BEING! TAKEN INNOCENCE THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED! NOW I CAN NO LONGER MARRY HER OFF FOR MONEY; NO MAN WILL HAVE A USED WOMAN!" He rounded on Chihiro, who was close to tears. "AND YOU, YOU LITTLE WHORE! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YOUR FAMILY? WHY WOULD YOU SLEEP WITH SOMEONE THAT CANNOT PROMOTE YOUR FAMILY? WHAT DO WE DO FOR MONEY NOW? NO ONE WILL WANT TO HAVE A PROSTITUTE!" The thin dam holding back Haku's anger broke and he lost it.

"YOUR DAUGHTER IS NOT A WHORE!" he roared, fury flowing freely. "ALTHOUGH I DOUBT YOU CARE; ALL YOU WANT IS MORE MONEY FOR FOOD! YOU DISGUST ME! I HAVE NO IDEA WHY CHIHIRO HAS EVEN THE TINIEST BIT OF LOVE AND SYMPATHY FOR YOU! YOU ARE FILTH AND NOT EVEN FIT TO GROVEL AT YOUR DAUGHTER'S FEET!" Akio's own anger boiled over and he completely lost control. He raised his fist and sent it flying towards Haku, who immediately jumped and dodged it. Even if he had avoided the punch, it still worried Chihiro. She screamed, bringing everyone's attention to her.

"STOP IT!" she screamed, tears running down her face. "Dad, stop it! Do not touch a hair on his head! You have no right to say anything to him, when you yourself are the pig-headed bastard. I came here hoping that maybe you had changed and would be more caring, but I see now that it will never happen. Dad, you are an obese ass-hole."

Akio listened to his daughter's insults and became irate. He set off at a run despite his heavy weight and lunged his daughter. Haku watched the scene unfold before him, unable to move. He watched as Akio drew closer to his frail Chihiro, anger flashing in the fat man's eyes. Haku finally willed his feet to move and rushed toward his mate, hoping against hope that he would make it in time. But all for naught.

Akio drew his fist back and released it, hitting his daughter square in the stomach. Chihiro was thrown back, away from her mother, and against the far wall. She hit in the center and uttered a small '_oof!_', then slid down to the floor, her head lolling onto her shoulder. Haku went crazy.

His eyes grew big and yellow, the pupils dilated; his hands flexed as long, shredding claws grew from his fingertips; he opened his mouth wide, sharp dragon exposed. He pounced on Akio, scratching and biting every inch of the obese man he could find. Haku dug his claws into the fat, drawing blood whilst biting into Akio's arm. Akio screamed and tried desperately to fight off the crazed dragon, but to no avail. He struggled for a few more seconds before feeling a terrible pain in his chest. His heart hammered away at his chest, taking his breath away, Akio cried out one more time before falling limply to the floor.

Haku took note of his prey's lack of struggle and ceased his attack. Getting off of Akio, he felt the man's flabby chest; there was no heartbeat. He quickly took a pulse, but there was not one. "He's dead," Haku growled to himself. He felt his fangs shrinking back to normal and his claws retracting. His eyes returning to their regular jade, and he tried to remember the hazy events of the past few moments. Then it hit him just as Yuuko cried out.

"Haku!" she said, voice full of panic. Not for her husband, however, for her daughter. "Haku, Chihiro won't wake up!" Haku abandoned the dead fat man and ran to the wall. Chihiro's body was slumped against the wall, head flopped on her shoulder. Her hair was straying out of her ponytail and a line of blood oozing from her slightly open mouth.

Haku landed heavily on his knees next to her, eyes full of concern and fear. He took her hand gently and rubbed it. "Chihiro…?" he said quietly, not wanting to believe the possible truth. "Chihiro, answer me." He began to shake her lightly. "Chihiro…please," he whispered, tears filling his eyes.

Yuuko placed her hands on his shoulders and said quietly, "Haku, she needs a hospital." Hake nodded. He gently gathered Chihiro into his arms and he led Yuuko into the yard. He gave Chihiro to her and said, "Climb on." With that, he transformed.


	43. Chapter 43

_Author's Note: Sorry for the cliff hanger, but you know you liked it. Either that, or you know that I update fast, so it wouldn't be too long. Sorry for the sadness later on, but I had to show that Haku and Chihiro aren't immune from everything. It killed me to write it, but I had to. Hope you like it. Please review!_

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**Chapter Forty-Three: Life And Death**

Haku paced the waiting room in the hospital. They had arrived forty-five minutes ago, and they hadn't heard from the doctors in twenty minutes. This was the most torturous thing that Haku had been through. He paced the room more while Yuuko sat in a chair, head in her hands. They were both reliving when Chihiro had been admitted.

Doctors were rushing about and patients were wailing about pitiful and misdemeanor injuries when Yuuko and Haku had ran in with Chihiro. They rushed to the front desk and were taken in immediately. Inside a room, five doctors came in and hurriedly examined a still unconscious Chihiro. One of the doctors felt Chihiro's stomach, said something medical to the others, and Haku and Yuuko were being pushed from the room. A nurse had taken them to a private waiting room and told them that a doctor would be with them as soon as they could. They were left alone to wonder about the fate of their loved one.

The doctor had come in twenty minutes later. He opened the door, stepped inside, then shut it quietly. Haku stopped his pacing momentarily to listen to him.

"Mrs. Ogino, Mr. Nigihayami," he had said, an unreadable look on his face.

"Doctor," said Yuuko shakily, "is Chihiro alright?"

The doctor shook his head slightly. "We're not sure. We've done an ultrasound and found that she has some internal bleeding in her abdomen. We believe that it's in her stomach and right kidney."

"Will she make it?" said Haku in a hollow voice.

"I don't know," said the doctor. "She's in emergency surgery now. We might be able to repair it, but only time will tell. I need to return. I'll come back as soon as we know something." And with that, he left.

_And here we are now,_ thought Haku bitterly. _Knowing as much as we did twenty minutes ago. I don't even know if Chihiro's still in surgery. Please be okay, little one._ Haku paced around the room yet again, barely taking note of Yuuko. _What am I going to do? What if—NO! That won't happen to her! I couldn't bear it! No, she'll be alright, I know it. She's stronger than the average human; she'll pull through. But if she doesn't, what am I going to do? What am I going to tell the staff; they all love her? And Lin and Kamajii? And Zeniba; she'll have my head. And what am I going to do about Kaida?—Kaida, what am I going to tell her when she gets older? I don't want my little girl to grow up without her mother. I know I can't raise her on my own_…._Oh Gods, Chihiro; please be okay!_ And for the first time in a long time, Haku began to cry, really and truly cry. He let tears slip down his face as silently as he could, biting his bottom lip. They ran down to his chin and dropped to the floor. He didn't want Chihiro's mother to see any sign of weakness from him, but a hiccup betrayed him.

Yuuko looked up and stared at the dragon, his back to her. She saw his shoulders begin to shake, then his whole body. She saw his fists clench at his sides and heard him sniffle. Yuuko's heart melted for him. _He's no man_, she thought, _he's still just a boy. No matter how old his is, he's still young. Just because he's married with a child, that doesn't mean that he can handle something like this alone. The poor thing._

"Haku," said Yuuko quietly. The dragon turned around slowly, showing his tear-streaked face. His eyes were emerald, large and shiny with tears and he was biting his quivering bottom lip. Any reservations Yuuko had about her daughter's mate were gone. She opened her arms silently to Haku and he ran into them. She closed him in her embrace and held him in her lap as he sobbed into her shoulder, just as she had done when Chihiro was a small child.

Haku wrapped his arms around Yuuko's neck and cried his heart out. He sobbed and hicced, all of his pent-up emotions flowing from him. Yuuko held him tightly to her and patted his back, trying to comfort him. She smoothed his hair and shushed him, then rocked him gently. Haku only clung to his mate's mother, the only thing he had to anchor him to Chihiro.

The doctor came back ten minutes later, as Haku was regaining his composure. He and Yuuko looked up at the man.

"Is Chihiro…" said Haku quietly, unable to utter the dreadful words.

"Chihiro came through the surgery just fine," said the doctor, giving them a small, encouraging smile. "We want to keep her at least until tomorrow, just to make sure. We think that we've stopped the bleeding, which wasn't as serious as we'd thought, but we'd like to play it safe."

"Can we go see her?" asked Yuuko, getting up.

"Yes, she's not awake yet, but she should be soon," said the doctor. "Go ahead" Yuuko thanked him and went to see her daughter. Haku made to follow, but the doctor stopped him. With a somber look on his face, the doctor said, "Mr. Nigihayami, I'm sorry, but we couldn't save the baby. Chihiro had a miscarriage."

Haku's eyes grew wide. "Ch…Chihiro was…pregnant?" he asked faintly. The doctor nodded sadly.

"Yes, but the force of the impact was too much, and it injured the zygote. It didn't make it."

"Oh," was all Haku could get out. "H-how far along…?"

"Only about a month, maybe less," said the doctor, putting a hand lightly on Haku's shoulder. "Probably not even long enough for Chihiro to know herself; it probably wasn't even enough time for her to notice that she missed a menstruation. If Chihiro didn't know, then we don't have to tell her unless you want to." Haku shook his head slowly, trying to comprehend everything. The doctor patted him on the back. "Okay, you can see her now."

On the way to the room, Haku was lost in thought. _Chihiro is pregnant? No, _was_ pregnant. We…would've had another baby…Kaida would've had a little brother or sister…Our family could've become bigger._ He sighed. "Yubaba strikes again, this time in the form of Akio Ogino." He cursed them both under his breath.

Haku opened the door to Chihiro's hospital room. He found Yuuko holding Chihiro's hand and the two conversing. Yuuko looked up as he entered and smiled. He smiled back. Yuuko pointed him out to Chihiro, who looked up and smiled happily at him. Haku walked to her bed and looked down at her.

Chihiro's arms were riddled with tubes and needles, and she was connected to many machines. There was an oxygen tube around her face with the two prongs in her nose. She looked so tiny and frail. It was times like this when Haku was reminded of just how mortal she was. She reached out her left hand, mating ring flashing. He took it in his own and looked into her eyes; they were bright and shiny, incredibly innocent. She had no idea what she had just lost, and he wasn't about to tell her; it was bad enough that she had to find out about her father.

"Haku," she said hoarsely, still smiling. "Are you okay?" Haku smiled at her selflessness. _She almost died, and she's thinking about my sorry ass_, he thought. _I must be pale as a ghost, but I'm not going to tell her why._

"I'm fine," he said, running his fingers lightly through her comforting locks. "What about you? Do you feel okay?"

"I guess," she said, frowning at the bags of liquid around her bed. "I see they have me on morphine, so I suppose I'm just fine." She and Yuuko laughed. Haku had no idea what was funny, but he laughed at seeing Chihiro happy.

A few hours later, Yuuko and Haku were back at the Ogino house. They would stay the night there, for they weren't allowed in the ICU with Chihiro. Yuuko opened the door and remembered what had happened before the hospital. It was a straight shot from the kitchen to the living room where Akio lay, dead. It wasn't a very pretty sight: blood was everywhere, along with human innards. Akio's arms and legs were splayed and slashed, lined with deep bite marks. Surprisingly, Yuuko had no emotions towards losing her husband. Absolutely nothing, only a small feeling of relief and justification. She turned to her newfound son-in-law.

"Haku, what do we do about this?" she asked.

"I'll take care of it," said Haku, stepping into the living room. "Wow, I really did a number on him, didn't I?" Interpreting Yuuko's silence correctly, he assured her. "Don't worry; I'm not like that often. Only when I lose all control, and that only happens when someone threatens me or someone I love." He thought to himself for a bit, then said, "Actually, I kind of feel sorry for any of the boys that Kaida will bring home…kind of." This seemed to lighten the mood somewhat, as both of them chuckled. Haku moved to the center of the room.

He began to move his hands about and mutter to himself. Yuuko watched in amazement as her husband's remains flickered, then disappeared, as did the blood and mess on the floor and walls. Haku turned his attention to the small puddle of Chihiro's blood that lined the far wall and surrounding floor. A moment later, it was gone. Haku stopped his motions and opened his eyes. He returned to the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"I've transported the disgusting filth (Akio) for 'proper' burial in a remote swamp somewhere in the spirit world," he said tiredly. "All you have to do is tell any nosy intruders that he went somewhere far away for medical problems concerning his obesity. I daresay that anyone who has seen him will not question you."

Yuuko nodded in agreement, then smiled. "I wish I had you around all the time; then cleaning up would be a breeze." Haku returned her smile wearily.

"Haku?"

"Hmm?"

"What did the doctor say to you after I left to see Chihiro?" Haku paled. Seeing his discomfort, Yuuko said, "I'll make some tea, then we can talk."

Ten minutes later, Yuuko and Haku both had a cup of tea in front of them on the table.

"Now," said Yuuko, "what did the doctor say?"

Haku drank heavily from his cup, then said, "He said that Chihiro had a miscarriage." Yuuko's eyes grew wide.

"Chihiro had a….She was pregnant? But I thought you said that she just had a baby four months ago. How…?"

Haku smiled sardonically. "I believe you know how. All we had to wait was six weeks." Yuuko turned red at hearing about her daughter's 'adventures'.

"Did…did Chihiro know?" she asked quietly. Haku shook his head sadly.

"No, she was barely a month along, so neither of us had any idea." He took another drink from his cup. "I guess it's better this way, though. We need to concentrate on Kaida, she's not even five months yet, and having two babies a little over a year apart would probably be too much for us." He sighed. "The curse strikes."

"What curse?" asked Yuuko, confused.

"There's a curse on the bathhouse where we live. The former owner, Yubaba, placed it after her son was born. She cursed all those who worked at the bathhouse with infertility. That's why Kaida's so special; she's the first baby to be born to workers of the bathhouse in a hundred years."

"Wow," said Yuuko, impresses. "I didn't know my granddaughter was such a fighter."

"Oh, she definitely is," said Haku, smiling at his memories. "I remember when, before she was born, Chihiro would let me feel her belly. We were always worried that something would happen and we would lose the pregnancy. I would say something and Kaida would kick at me. I think she was trying to prove that there was someone in there and that she wasn't going anywhere." Then sadness overtook his face. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to feel that again." Yuuko's heart went out to the dragon. She placed her hand on his.

"I'm sure you will," she said smiling. "I only ask that you please lay off Chihiro for a bit." Haku smiled and nodded.

They went to bed a little later. Yuuko went to the bedroom that she used to share with her husband, who had been pretty much forgotten, and Haku slept in Chihiro's old room.

Haku went inside, turned on the light, and shut the door. He didn't have any pajamas, but he didn't care. He pulled off his shirt and climbed into Chihiro's small bed. He looked over the room, which was almost unchanged since their last visit, except for the cleaning, and pulled the pink and purple covers over his head. He nuzzled his head into the pillow, letting the smell fill his sensitive nose. The whole bed smelled of Chihiro. It was the closest thing to sleeping with her, and it comforted him. Still, something was missing, and he couldn't sleep without it.

Haku got out of bed and walked out of the room, not bothering with his shirt. He checked in on Yuuko, making sure she was asleep, then he left the house and made his way to the tunnel.

Haku transformed into his dragon form and flew off to the bathhouse. He landed, human again, on the ledge outside of Zeniba's guest room. He tapped on the window and Zeniba opened it for him. He jumped inside without a word and started searching for his daughter. He found her in the next room, tossing in a fitful sleep. Kaida awoke hearing her father's footsteps and cracked an adorable baby smile. Seeing this, all of Haku's tensions and frustrations melted away. Everything he went through was all worth it if it helped her.

Haku picked her up gently and kissed her fluffy brown hair. All of the green had faded, but Haku had a feeling it would be back before she hit puberty, and he shuddered at that thought.

Zeniba had followed him. Worriedly, she asked, "Haku, where's Chihiro?"

"In the human hospital," he answered, gathering some of the things Kaida would need for a two to three day stay. Feeling the old witch about send a barrage of questions his way, he intervened. "Please Zeniba, I'm too tired to be interrogated tonight. I assure you, I will answer you when I return in a few days. Just know that Chihiro is alright and her father is dead."

"I know," said the witch, helping Haku pack Kaida's things. "we received his remains earlier." Haku stiffened.

"What did you do with them?"

"We buried them in a rather disgusting swamp where no one can find him."

"Good." Haku went to Kaida's room to get some more things for her. He bid farewell to Zeniba a little later and flew away on a conjured cloud, his sleeping daughter tucked into her sling at his chest.

Back in the human world inside the Ogino house, Haku checked on a still sleeping Yuuko, then made his way back to Chihiro's old bedroom, Kaida still sleeping soundly in her sling, happy to be back with her daddy. Haku silently dragged all of her things to the room and closed the door. He checked her diaper (still clean, thankfully), then laid back down in the bed with her. He laid her sideways next to his chest and she nuzzled her head into him. He buried his nose into her hair and placed his hands gently behind her back. He drifted into sleep, Chihiro's scent and his baby's breath on his chest lulling him.


	44. Chapter 44

_Author's Note: Just a little chapter that ends their stay in the human world. Hope you like it. Please review!_

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**Chapter Forty-Four: Grandma Yuuko!**

Haku woke in the morning, Kaida still nestled to him. He picked her up and instantly knew what to do first. He pulled a fresh diaper from the baby bag and laid Kaida on the bed. He pulled the soiled diaper away and banished it, nose crinkled. Kaida giggled at her father's face, drooling slightly. Haku laughed with her as he changed her, and kissed her tubby belly. He dressed her in a pink sleeper with 'Daddy's Girl' scrawled in white across the middle, pink booties, and a pink and white cap. He picked her up and carried her downstairs.

Yuuko was already in the kitchen, cooking pancakes and sausage. Haku came down the stairs, Kaida on his hip, and was overcome with the smell of food. He started to drool, his stomach growling.

"That smells good," he said, walking into the kitchen. Yuuko turned around to tell him good morning, but stopped when she realized what he was carrying. She instantly knew who the baby was. She had Chihiro's light brown hair, pale skin, warm smile, and large eyes, although Haku's jade peered through them. Yuuko dropped her spatula as her hands cane to her face and tears to her eyes.

"My granddaughter," she whispered quietly. Haku remembered that Yuuko had never seen his baby before.

"This is Kaida Aiko," he said proudly. Yuuko came closer slowly, almost as if she were afraid that the chubby baby would disappear if she approached any faster. She held out her hands timidly and looked to Haku, almost asking permission. Haku held his daughter out and Yuuko took her slowly.

Holding the baby carefully to her, Yuuko looked into her beautiful eyes. Dark, tranquil jade stared back at her, inspecting her. Yuuko hugged the tiny baby to her, realizing that this was her granddaughter. She was not the product of a shameful affair, but the result of beautiful love.

"Hello, Kaida," said Yuuko tearfully. Kaida burbled back and cut a baby smile, the kind that makes anyone's heart melt. Then Kaida started to fuss, looking about for her mother. Her frantic search, which ended in tears, pulled at Haku's heart. He wanted to take all of her pain and frustrations from her, so that she could be happy and carefree, but he knew that he couldn't.

"Here," he said, taking back his daughter gently. Yuuko let her go with only momentary sadness, as she smelled the food burning. As she tended to the food, Haku bounced Kaida on his hip as he summoned her highchair. He played with her a bit more, letting her chew on his finger (teething was coming, he just knew it), the sat her in her highchair. He opened one of the jars of baby food that Chihiro had given Zeniba to feed Kaida. Haku smelled it and his nose crinkled again; it smelled awful, like fake food. He dipped a spoon into the jar and lifted it to his daughter's mouth. Just like her daddy, Kaida rejected the food, giving the cutest baby frown imaginable. Haku hated to feed it to her, but he didn't have anything else.

"I'll make a deal with you, Kaida," he said, talking to a baby that had no idea what a 'deal' was. "If you eat this nasty stuff, then I'll give you something better to eat." Kaida seemed to be thinking for a moment, then opened her mouth wide. Haku smilled and gave her the spoon. She clamped her gums down on it and took the nasty mush, then swallowed it. Haku looked at the label and read, "'Strained carrots'…Eeww. If this is carrots, then I'm a fluffy bunny." Kaida had no idea what her father had said, but she laughed all the same. Haku smiled and continued to feed her the vile 'food'.

When she finished, her father kept his promise. He went to the refrigerator, pulled out strawberries and a banana, walked to the counter, and began to mush them together in a bowl. Haku kept it up until it was almost creamy, then added a bit of water and stirred. When he had finished, he brought it to his daughter and gave her a spoonful. Smelling the sweet smell of real fruit, she opened her mouth quickly and smiled when she tasted it. She swallowed it hungrily and opened her mouth for another spoonful. Haku laughed and obliged, feeding her half of the bowl. He covered the rest and put back in the refrigerator for later.

Two hours later, Haku and Yuuko had eaten and dressed, and they were headed for the hospital, Kaida in her carrier, asleep with her head at her father's chest. They made their way into the hospital, then to the front desk to find out where Chihiro was, as she had been moved to a step down from ICU. They found her room and went inside.

Chihiro was lying in the bed, yes closed. Yuuko made to leave, but Haku stopped her. He could read Chihiro's thoughts and knew that she was wide awake. He listened on a different plane and her voice filled his head.

_Haha…I hope they hurry up. I'm dying to see their faces when they start talking softly and then I scare the bejezuses outta them. Haha_.

Haku smiled to himself. _She never has been very good at keeping her thoughts to herself._ He cocked his eyebrows up and gave a funny, knowing look. Then he sent her a thought. _Ooh, liiiitttlle oooonne_….

Chihiro let out a barely audible gasp, but tried not to move. Haku continued vocally. "You really need to learn how to reign in your thoughts, Chihiro." Chihiro still tried not to move, but a smile was cracking at her lips. Haku smiled at her determination, then said, "Chihiro, there's someone here to see you, and I don't think you want to keep her waiting." Chihiro slightly opened one eye and looked towards his voice, then both eyes shot open as she smiled widely.

"Kaida!" she cried, holding out her open arms. Haku smiled and placed their little girl in her arms. Kaida could not have been happier. She looked up at her mother with a look that clearly said, 'Where the heck have you been?' Chihiro laughed and tapped her daughter's nose lovingly. "I'm sorry, little dragon, I couldn't help it." Kaida seemed to forgive her, as she began to laugh and giggle herself into hysterics. Chihiro looked up from her daughter.

"Come on, Mom," she said, motioning her over. Yuuko obeyed and stepped to her daughter. She watched as her daughter played with her own daughter.

"Chihiro," she said, her eyes misty, "congratulations." That was all that she could get out. She knew that her daughter had found the life she herself had only ever wished for. Chihiro had a loving mate, beautiful child, and financial support to keep herself up for many years. Yuuko was very happy for her daughter.


	45. Chapter 45

_Author's Note: Okay, it's drawing to the end, and I'm thinking tow more chapter, three at the most. Don't be sad, I cn't just leave you, there will be more! (So melodramatic) Anyway, I was tired when I wrote this, so it might not be the best. Since they're the lats chapters, I probably should give them more attention, but I needed to get these ideas down. I hope you like it, please review. Thanks! PS. The chapters may get shorter._

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**Chapter Forty-Five: An Old Enemy Returns**

Haku and Chihiro returned to the bathhouse the following day, promising Yuuko that they would visit within the next month.

Back inside the bathhouse, Haku was trying to get Chihiro situated and fussing over her. She was not allowed to do anything strenuous for at least six weeks because of her surgery. So Haku really had to keep his promise to Yuuko about laying off Chihiro.

Meanwhile, something was happening elsewhere….

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

News travels fast around the spirit world; however, it takes quite a while to circulate the human world. In this case, it took almost five months.

Yubaba was sitting in a chair outside in the sun. She was almost asleep when a crow landed next to her began to peck her, none too gently, on her abnormally large nose.

"What?" she asked grumpily. "What is it?" The crow stuck its head in her fave, showing her an envelope. Yubaba took it and opened it as the crow flew off. She quickly scanned it, then here eyes shot open.

"WHAT?" she screeched, her hair flying. "SOMEONE HAD BROKEN MY CURSE?!? WHO?" She read the letter a bit more, then found what she was looking for. "'Kaida Aiko, born to Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi and his mate, Nigihayami Chihiro Ogino'…WHAT?!? Th-they've had a baby…and gotten by my curse? But, how did they?" Her blood boiled and her face turned red. "Well, it doesn't matter, I have an idea." And with that, Yubaba made immediate arrangements to go home.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Haku, I swear, I'm fine," said Chihiro, trying to get fretting dragon off her back. It was sweet to see him so caring, but he did tend to take it overboard.

"I'm sorry, little one, I just want you to be comfortable," apologized Haku.

"It's okay," said Chihiro, putting a beautifully pale hand on his shoulder. "It's been four weeks, my dragon, I can go out by myself." She kissed him on the cheek, picked up a burbling six-month-old Kaida, and was out the door before he could say anything. He watched her out of the window in their room as she skipped around, swinging a laughing and babbling Kaida in the air. Haku walked back to their bed and began to fold the laundry (A/N: girls, don't you wish you could find a man who does the laundry?). He had just folded the last of Chihiro's tunic shirts when he heard an ear-piercing scream. He ran to the window and looked down to see Chihiro staring at the sky, a horrified look on her face. She spotted Haku on the balcony and pointed up, shrieking.

"HAKU! HAKU! SHE HAS KAIDA! STOP HER!"

Haku looked to his right and saw a gigantic woman in a blue dress flying at him on a broom. Clutched under her right arm was…his daughter! Forgetting about personal safety, Haku desperately jumped up and made a mad grab for Kaida. His fingertips brushed her sides, but the witch raised just enough so that he couldn't hold on. Haku tried to transform, but the old witch doused him with a fine sparkly powder, and he was stopped dead in his tracks. He landed back on the balcony.

Haku could do nothing but watch as the evil old witch flew off with his pride and joy, his entire life. The witch was taking his daughter. Haku ran to the edge of the balcony and reached his hands out uselessly.

"YUBABA!" he screamed. "YUBABA, BRING MY DAUGHTER BACK! DAMN YOU, YUBABA, DAMN YOU TO HELL! _KAIDA!_"

He heard Yubaba cackle madly as she rode off. Haku's heart was ripped from his chest as he heard his baby bawling, then utter her first resemblance of a real word; "DADA!"


	46. Chapter 46

_Author's Note: sings It's raining, it's--oh, wow, it really is pouring! Anyway, thank you sooo much for the reviews. No, Yubaba's not the evilness, she's just the evil Yubaba. Sorry this chapter's so short, and I'm not very good with fight scenes_. _I'm pretty sure that the next chapter will be the last, but there will be a sequal, and then a third story, and I already have a rough outline for both. Please read and review!_

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**Chapter Forty-Six: The Battle Begins**

Inside their room, Chihiro lay on the bed, crying. She felt completely empty inside without her baby. She could kill herself for being so foolish. How could she have let go so easily? Why hadn't she held a firmer grip? Why hadn't she listened to Haku and stayed the hell inside? A new wave of tears overcame her and she buried her head in her pillow.

Haku came in after talking to the staff, who were absolutely irate. He heard Chihiro crying and walked to her. He kneeled next to her on the bed and put his hands on her shoulders. He brushed the hair, wet from tears, from her face and kissed her gently. Shelooled almost as bad as he felt. He hadn't been able to reach his baby. She was _right there_ and he couldn't get her. It was tearing him up inside, and his daughter's first, last, and only word kept echoing in his mind; "DADA!" It ripped his heart apart.

"Chihiro…" he said softly, pulling her up and cradling her in his arms. He rocked her back and forth as she sobbed against his chest. "It'll be okay, Chihiro," he cooed, trying to believe it himself. "I've informed the staff and they're up in arms. They've divided themselves into groups and have vowed to search every square inch of the spirit world until they find her. We'll get her back, I promise."

These words sounded nice, but there was nothing to back it up. Chihiro, inconsolable, only cried harder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yubaba touched down in the yard of her secret vacation home. She walked into her house, Kaida under her arm. She slammed the door and sat the girl down on the floor, still squalling. Yubaba placed her hands on her hips and stared down at the crying baby.

"SHUT UP!" she roared. Kaida's tears stopped and she hiccupped. "There," Yubaba crooned. "That wasn't so hard, no, was it?"

Yubaba picked Kaida up and placed her in a large play pen loaded with toys. She sat in a rocking chair and watched the baby.

"Are you wondering where your mommy and daddy are?" the old, evil witch asked. Kaida's head lifted at the mention of her mother and father, looking around hopefully. "Well, that's too bad," continued Yubaba. "I'm your Mama now." Kaida's eyes filled with tears again as she realized that she wasn't going to see her parents.

"Are you asking why I decided to take you?" said Yubaba, a twisted smile on her old lips. "It's because I don't think I did a very good job raising my son, Boh. He's growing up. I've exposed him too much, I think. I let him outside into the world. But I won't make that mistake with you. You will stay in the safety of your room. And I will teach you well." Yubaba paused to think. "You have already proven yourself quite the powerful witch. You bested my curse, after all. Yes, I won't make the same mistakes with you, dear."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been a week since Yubaba had snatched Kaida, but there was still no sign of either. Chihiro had fallen into deep depression and Haku was beside himself. He had completely shut down the bathhouse and ordered all of the staff to search for his daughter, and all were happy to oblige. Every frog spirit and yuna were out combing every inch of the world.

By day fifteen, Chihiro had had enough. She could not stand one more day without her baby. In the middle of the night, she crept silently out of bed and dressed in the dark. She tip-toed to the window and opened it, stepping onto the balcony. She was about to conjure a cloud and go look for her daughter, when Haku came out after her. He had been watching her since she had gotten up. He placed a light jacket on her shoulders and kissed her temple. Understanding that she would not be dissuaded, he transformed and lowered himself so that she could climb on. They rode off together, searching for the last part of their little family.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kaida was looking forlornly out of the window in the room that the evil witch had put her in. She desperately missed her loving family. She wanted to smell her mother and grasp her hair. She wanted to hear her father's voice and lay her sleepy head on his chest, listening to him chuckle deeply.

Kaida stared out of the window and wondered what her parents were doing, tears coming to her eyes. She began to sniffle, trying to think of any possible way of escape, but it was hopeless. She cried harder and somehow hit a very powerful source of energy deep within her. Kaida looked out the window, held her hands up, and cried "Dada!"

Brilliant jade light shot from her hands and out the window. It frightened her, but Kaida knew that it was her salvation and she needed it to shine brightly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chihiro drew the jacket closer around her, the spring air chilling her slightly. _It's spring_, she thought. _Actually, it's April, and our first anniversary is coming up soon. Come to think of it, Haku's mating instincts haven't been nearly as insistent, or maybe he's been restraining himself for my sake. He's really sweet and caring. Oh, Gods, I really hope Kaida's okay!_ Chihiro was brought out of her thoughts when she spotted a bright jade light coming from a good distance away. Chihiro nudged Haku slightly with her knee. He raised his head a bit to indicate that he was listening.

"Haku, do you see that light over there?" said Chihiro, leaning closely to his ear. Haku turned forward then back again, showing he did. "I think we should go towards it. I feel like it will lead us to Kaida." Haku nodded and took off toward the light.

They came within half a mile of the light, but Haku could no longer hold his dragon form; some kind of magic was interrfering. They landed and Hake transformed back to a human. Chihiro looked up; they could still the jade light. Haku turned to her and said, "Are you ready?"

Chihiro nodded. "Yep." And they set off on foot, bound and determined to find their daughter.

After walking for some time, they stumbled upon a gate. It wasn't very high and easy enough to climb over, but its presence did not bode well with either Haku or Chihiro. Haku climbed the gate and sat on the top. He offered a hand to Chihiro and pulled her onto the top as well. They looked at each other and nodded simultaneously. Haku pulled a hidden sword from his waist and Chihiro pulled two hidden daggers from bands on he legs. They both swung their legs over the gate and dropped to the ground. They had only a second to prepare themselves, for creatures poured from every opening in the forest around them. Chihiro looked around, examining the foes; a few water and fire spirits, some wood spirits, a dog spirit, a couple of bull spirits, and a neko spirit.

_This is not going to be easy._

And the battle began.

Haku went for the wood and fire spirits while Chihiro went after the dog spirit. After a short stint of footwork, Chihiro sent one of her daggers flying at the spirit, lodging in its chest. Chihiro snatched it up as she went on to the next challenge. Haku tackled on of the bull spirits while Chihiro took the other. The daggers alone wouldn't do this time. She harnessed her energy into her hands and transferred it to the daggers. She tossed them at the bull and it fell over, dead. Chihiro summoned the daggers back to her and took up the fight once again.

Haku dealt with remaining water spirits and Chihiro went for the neko. Chihiro threw her daggers at the cat, but she jumped and missed them entirely, then made to scratch Chihiro with her claws. Chihiro didn't dodge quickly enough and felt the claws graze her face, but not enough to do real damage. Chihiro gathered more energy and waved her hands, sending the neko flying to her back some fifty feet away. Seizing the opportunity, Chihiro summoned the daggers again and directed them to the cat spirit. They pierced her flesh, driving themselves into her chest. Her head rolled to the side, lifeless.

"Chihiro!" cried Haku, the last water spirit falling down. "Are you okay?"

"Yea," said Chihiro, slightly breathless. She felt she was getting closer to her daughter, and was more determined than ever to find her.

She set off towards the large house that was now visible without the hordes, Haku right behind her. They walked on, fending off tiredness, keeping their eyes set on the jade light. They walked for what seemed like forever before they finally reached the large three story house. The light was emanating from a far window on the third floor. Chihiro summoned one of rickety clouds and climbed on, Haku next to her. Together they rose to the third floor and over to the window.


	47. Chapter 47

_Author's Note: Oh, Kami, this is THE LAST CHAPTER! --Hyperventilates-- Wow, I did not think that it would get this far! Oh, I'm beside myself! I can go to school tomorrow and know that no matter how bad my writing test scores are, at least people actually like my fiction! Thank you for the reviews, they were all great! Thank you! Please review this last one and tell me what you think over all!_

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**Chapter Forty-Seven: Happily Ever After…For Now**

Haku and Chihiro rose to the third floor and found the correct window. Chihiro moved the cloud closer so that she could look inside. She could have screamed in joy as she peered down. Haku, seeing her excitement, looked over her shoulder and a huge smile came to his face.

Sitting in an ugly wooden crib was their baby. Kaida was sitting up with her hands in front of her. Haku was surprised to see the brilliant jade light was emanating from them, but then he thought of her lineage and it was no wonder at her magic capabilities.

Chihiro tapped on the glass to get her daughter's attention. Kaida looked up, letting the light fade and disappear. When she saw her mother in the window, her baby heart leapt for joy. She smiled widely and reached her arms out, begging for her mother to pick her up. Chihiro desperately wanted to oblige her daughter, but there was no way inside. The window was locked and nothing could open it. Chihiro tried her best to tug it open, but to no avail.

Suddenly, Haku and Chihiro heard a noise coming from three windows down. Haku held onto Chihiro as he took control of the little cloud and moved it behind a protruding window. They peeked out in time to see Yubaba covered in her flying cloak. The hated witch drew it around herself and took off, transforming into an ugly crow-Yubaba. She squawked and flew off. It occurred to Chihiro that their crossing the gate had signaled an alarm, and Yubaba was going off to tend to it. When she was only a speck in the distance, Haku moved the cloud to the window of Yubaba's room and opened it.

Haku stepped inside and looked around. Motioning that it was safe, he held a hand out to Chihiro and helped her inside. Once in the room, they explored it, trying to find the door. Chihiro fumbled around in the dark and ran into a wall.

"Ow!" she muttered, feeling the wall. She found it and switched it on as Haku spoke.

"Are you okay?" he asked, coming to her.

"Yeah," said Chihiro, rubbing her nose. She glanced around at the room. All of Yubaba's magical stores were here; bags of fine, shimmering powder, stacks of roots and herbs, cauldrons of potions, among other things. Chihiro, while hoping to avoid it, anticipated a confrontation with Yubaba. So she took the opportunity to snatch some of the more dangerous-looking powders and potions, along with a few more daggers and sword.

Haku and Chihiro walked quietly into the hallway, not sure if anyone else was around. They were ecstatic about finding their daughter, but they weren't out of the woods yet, and needed to keep their wits about them. They walked stealthily down the hall, not knowing which room their daughter was being held in. They passed by five rooms, as not all had windows, they weren't sure where Kaida was.

Haku's ears suddenly picked up on a muffled burbling sound. He put an arm out to stop Chihiro and motioned to the door ahead. Chihiro nodded, showing she understood, and walked behind him, hands on his shoulders. They stopped at the door and discovered it was locked. Sure that their daughter was in here, Chihiro started to work her growing magic. She placed her fingertips lightly on the doorknob and they heard a soft _tick_. Chihiro gingerly opened the door and they looked inside.

Kaida was sitting in the ugly crib, still staring at the window, hoping that her parents would return. She heard the door open and turned her head towards the noise. She smiled a big, open-mouthed smile and held her arms out to her parents. Haku and Chihiro came in, relief welling in their chests. Kaida opened and closed her fingers, eager for their embraces. She smiled even more and babbled, "Dada!"

Haku and Chihiro rushed to the crib and picked her up, tears spilling over both of their faces. They held their daughter to them and hugged her. Chihiro dissolved into tears, every emotion flowing from her; tension, pain, frustration, hatred, depression, and self-loathing. It was replaced by joy and elation. The change left her tired and drained, and all she wanted to do was return to the bathhouse with her happy family and continue with the rest of their life.

Haku cried, relief taking him over and he become numb. All he could feel was the tears running down his face, his mate sniffling into his neck, and his daughter babbling and crying happily at his chest. He felt like the luckiest man in the world at that moment.

Unfortunately, it did not last long.

Haku's ears picked up on what Chihiro's could not; footsteps. He rose quickly, startling the other two. He stood in front of them, arms out protectively. He had just re-formed his family and was not about to let the evil witch tear them apart.

Yubaba walked into the doorway, hands on her hips. She spoke suddenly and harshly, catching Chihiro's and Kaida's attentions. "I would like to congratulate you on making it past my small army. However, you will find that I am a much tougher adversary. Now, I ask you to put my baby back in her crib and leave immediately."

Chihiro blanched at the witch's words. "_How dare you_," she whispered dangerously, cradling her baby to her chest and standing next to her mate. "Kaida is not your baby. She did not grow inside of you for eight months and you did not endure pain for over ten hours to bring her into this world. You worked _against_ her, tried to inhibit her birth. You are not fit to call her your baby. I am her mother and I will do all in my power to protect her."

Yubaba smiled a twisted smile and eyed Chihiro superiorly. "Big words for such a small, pathetic human. Watch yourself, Sen, you don't want to get hurt," said the witch menacingly. Haku's anger, which was being held back by a very thin dam, came flooding out at her last insult. He ran at the witch full-force and pounced on her, knocking them both to the ground.

With his hands at her throat, he hissed, "_Take it back! Chihiro is NOT a pathetic human! It is YOU who is pathetic and weak! You captured our daughter to get back at us for besting your curse, instead of attacking us to our face! You took the coward's way out!_" Yubaba could only gurgle, Haku's hand on her windpipe. She moved her mouth silently and Haku was flung off of her by an invisible force. He did a quick somersault in the air and landed gracefully next to Chihiro. Anticipating what Yubaba would do next, he silently too Kaida from Chihiro and cradled her in the crook of his arm.

He stared down at her, looking deeply into her eyes. Chihiro gasped slightly when her daughter was enveloped in some kind of moving crystal in Haku's arms. Upon further inspection, she realized that it was not crystal, but water, circulating in an egg-shaped sphere around Kaida. Haku took the sphere in his hands and lifted it. He removed his hands, but Kaida, situated in the middle of the water, yet completely dry, stayed hung in the air.

_It will protect her_, Haku thought to Chihiro, letting them know that their child was safe. Chihiro nodded and they turned back to Yubaba, who was now launching an all-out attack on them.

Chihiro dodged three consecutive balls of magic by flipping about the room. She quickly pulled one of the daggers she had stolen from the band on her pants and threw it at the witch. It hit her in the left shoulder, sending her into wails of pain. Haku took the opportunity to draw his sword and begin slicing at her. Yubaba backed away, stumbling over the hem of her dress. She pressed herself against a wall and began chanting. Haku's sword got in one last rugged slash across her chest before quivering in his hands. It vibrated and lifted from his grip, then turned and launched itself straight at Chihiro.

"CHIHIRO!" screamed Haku, lunging to grab the sword. Chihiro heard his warning and dived out of the way, barely avoiding being skewered by the blade. The sword continued to fly and lodged itself into a wall, useless to both sides.

Haku fastened his hands around Yubaba's neck once again, determined to strangle the life out of her. Yubaba closed her eyes and a second later Haku yelped in pain, releasing his grip quickly. He retreated to Chihiro's side as she looked at his hands; they were red and raw. She had burned him. This infuriated Chihiro and she began to attack the old witch, throwing whatever was in reach at her. Yubaba sent another magic ball towards her, which she avoided easily. She watched its path, however, and found that she was not the intended target.

The ball drew closer and closer to Kaida, encased in her water-armor. Chihiro, abandoning the fight, ran for her baby. She needn't have worried, however; the ball hit, exploded, and dissipated, leaving Kaida shaken but unharmed. Chihiro sighed with relief, but then heard Haku yelp. She turned around and found that Yubaba's true intentions were not to harm anyone with the magic ball, to distract.

Yubaba held Haku tightly around the neck, squeezing his windpipe. She cackled madly. She was pointing a dagger at his throat. The witch gave Chihiro a look that clearly conveyed her message, 'I dare you'. Chihiro was out of options. She looked at Haku's pale face, tinged with blue from lack of oxygen. She knew that she was defeated.

"Give up," said Yubaba, squeezing Haku's throat tighter so that he let out a barely audible gasp. He clawed at her pruny hands, scratching her with his claws. Chihiro wracked her brain for an idea, but could think of none. She made to drop her remaining daggers, but then heard Haku's strained voice.

"_Chi—Chihiro…don't…don't do it_," he wheezed, eyes narrowed with effort to talk. "_You can't…let her get…K-Kaida…._" He could no longer form words, but instead he sent her thoughts.

_Chihiro, no. Don't give up. I'll be fine. You must defeat Yubaba. Don't let her get Kaida!_

Chihiro nodded. She had a plan, shaky, but it was something. She just hoped that Haku would be okay; she couldn't live without him. Chihiro withdrew the last of the powders from under her shirt and held another dagger firmly in her hand. She ran full-force at the witch and threw the powder on her. Yubaba immediately released Haku, who fell to the floor in a heap, trying to regain oxygen.

Chihiro pounced on Yubaba as the witch screamed. The powder was burning her skin and eyes, leaving them red and raw. Anger filling her, Chihiro lost all control and began stabbing at Yubaba with the dagger. She realized that it would not be long enough to finish her off. However, the dagger seemed to understand this, as it transformed into a thin, handsome sword. The blade was shiny steel and the hilt was engraved with a dragon and three flowers, and inlaid with emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, and pieces of jade.

Pausing only momentarily to marvel at the weapon, Chihiro plunged it into Yubaba's chest, driving it through her heart. The old witch gave a final scream and went limp on the floor, lifeless.

Chihiro, shaken, crawled from the dead witch, unbelieving of what she had done. _I…I've just ki…killed someone_, she thought shakily, looking down at her blood-covered hands. _Oh Gods, what have I done! Oh Gods..._

Haku, breathing normally again, went to his mate and put steady hands on her shoulders. Chihiro looked up at him, tears in her eyes. He smiled gently down at her and lifted her to her feet.

"Don't cry, little one," he said, wiping a tear from her cheek with a burned finger. "Everything is okay now." He led her to where Kaida was suspended. He took the orb in his hands and it disappeared, leaving him holding a very confused Kaida. Chihiro laughed, relieved, at her face and held her daughter to her. Haku encompassed both of them in his arms and nuzzled Chihiro's head under his chin.

"My girls…" he growled softly, grateful that everything was over with.

**Or at least for now.**

* * *

_Alright, that was it, the last little bit. Does anyone want a sequal? Tell me if you do, because I have ideas! Thank you, all of my readers and reviewers! Now, for the end credits:_

_Written by: Masako Fuyuki_

_Posted on: thanks to:_

_Frubaforever_

_The Spiked Dragon_

_Kamu-San_

_SheWhoLaffsAtCheese_

_Yangu Fuyu_

_Sakurablossom1124_

_Nausicaa of the Spirits_

_Ichigo-2007_

_Coco-san_

_Dreamz_

_dAnnYsGiRl777_

_ShinobiMaster612_

_Zutara-rouks_

_laramary_

_Magpie_

_dr34mer_

_And to anyone else I have forgotten; Thank YOU! A story is nothing without readers, and you guys are the greatest!_

_I have a few words to say;_

_Your first story as kind of like your first child:_

_You had no idea what the hell you were getting into when you started_

_Even though it interferes with other things occassionally, you still love it unconditionally and want to give it everything to grow properly_

_You watch it as it grows and marvel at how it has become what it is_

_And when it's ready and completed, you watch it with mixed emotions as it goes off to mingle with others, and you know that there is nothing left you can do except go back and relive the memories._


End file.
